


100 Ways to Say 'I Love You | Mileven

by summer_of_1985



Series: Tumblr Prompts [2]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-10
Updated: 2018-07-16
Packaged: 2019-06-08 07:41:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 102
Words: 29,706
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15238644
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/summer_of_1985/pseuds/summer_of_1985
Summary: 100 Ways to Say 'I Love You' / 99 ways apart from the obvious 'I Love You'Mileven





	1. Pull over. Let me drive for a while

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> El gets sleepy behind the wheel.

**1\. Pull over. Let me drive for a while.**

* * *

Jane 'El' Hopper had gotten her driving licence 3 weeks ago, which - apart from her birth and adoption certificate(s) which makes her legally Hopper and Joyce's daughter and Will and Jonathan's sister - made her a legal human being, proof that she is alive.

She was sat at a crossing, as small children crossed the road. El had just been on her weekly Saturday date with her year and a half boyfriend - Michael Wheeler (the only boy/young man she's ever loved and will love till the day she dies). 

Well, El was sat at the crossing, but she wasn't paying attention all that much, nearly falling asleep in the driver's seat.

Mike was paying full attention to the road, and the lights and the 16-year-old behind the wheel.

"El, baby," Mike said, getting her attention. " _Pull over. Let me drive for a while._ " He said, resting his hand on her thigh, stroking it lightly and comfortingly.

El nodded and pulled over to the side of the road. Mike waited for the cars to pass by and quickly and smoothly got out of the car. He opened the driver door and unbuckled El from her seat. Mike carefully and gently picked her up out of her seat and carefully put her in the passenger seat. Mike's muscle tone had improved slightly since he met her back in 1983, he still wasn't all that strong but could pick Elle up and not struggle.

He buckled El into her seat and watched (just as he buckled himself in) as El quickly fell asleep and started to quietly snore - which Mike found absolutely adorable.

* * *

As El continued to sleep in the passenger seat, Mike pulled the car up at the Byers' home - they had built on an extension for El's room. Mike smiled, seeing the house he'd known the Byers' to be in for years, which had the added addition of El and Chief Jim Hopper.

Mike had turned the engine of El's car when Hopper opened the door. He smiled at his daughter's boyfriend when Mike lifted El out of the passenger seat and up towards the house.

"Go put her to bed," Hopper said, letting Mike in the quaint little house that homes the Byers' and the Hoppers.

Mike nodded and headed down the corridor that he's known for years, to El's room that sits on one side at the end of the hall, her half-brother baby James, just across the space.

Mike had known El since they were 12 and he knew she hated sleeping in a jumper and jeans. So he had to take off her jumper - leaving her in her t-shirt, but it would be extremely awkward for Mike to change her from jeans to sweatpants.

"El, El, baby, wake up," Mike cooes at her, gently shaking. She slowly peeped open her eyes and looked up at Mike. She smiled softly before shutting her eyes again. "Come on, you need to get changed," he softly says, handing her the grey sweatpants she had when she stayed for the week in 1983.

El complains, silently, only wanting to roll over and sleep for the rest for the rest of her life. But, as soon as she saw her soft sweatpants that once belonged to Mike. She quickly sat up - making the room spin at the sudden movement, and took them from Mike.

Once she was dressed and had climbed back into bed, Mike pulled her comforter over her, followed by a couple of her blankets and tucked her in.

"Night, El," Mike whispered, and kissed her forehead. She mumbled something back - even though Mike couldn't make out what she had said, he knew she was saying goodnight to him too.


	2. It reminded me of you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mike buys El a present... with the money Nancy gave him.

**2\. It reminded me of you.**

* * *

Mike had to go shopping with his sister Nancy. Some stupid reason because of Nancy needing some stupid clothes at her 2nd year of college, her second year away from home.

He saw a floral pale pink dress (the ones El loves) with a white Peter Pan collar (also what El loves). And he smiled, remembering when she walked out of Nancy's bedroom in Nancy's old dress back in 1983. During that one week, he fell completely head over heels for her.

"Nancy?" He always did get Nancy's opinion when getting something for El - his girlfriend since he was 13¾. And he's treasured every moment with the Telekinetic teenager.

Nancy looked over at Mike and smiled as he held out a dress that even reminded Nancy of the dress that she loved to wear so much when she was little.

"Yeah, it'll suit El," Nancy smiled and gave Mike 16 dollars, for him to go buy the dress. She didn't care if that meant she was a little low for her own clothes - but seeing the happy smile on Mike's face from the product of El's smile. Their mom, Karen, didn't understand how much El actually meant to Mike. He was a mess without her.

Mike smiled and walked to the cashier and paid for El's dress.

* * *

Mike was sat in the basement, flicking through one of his old comic books and El playing one of Mike's old video games on his Atari. Whenever Mike looked up, he could see Pac-Man running across the screen being followed by 4 ghosts: Blinky, Pinky, Inky and Clyde.

Nancy's head popped through the door and looked at Mike.

'You gonna give her the dress?' Nancy mouthed to Mike. He nodded and reached down the side of the basement sofa - lucky that Holly nor El had found it.

"El?" He asked, making her look away from his Atari, now that Inky had caught Pac-Man, and look at her boyfriend. She smiled as soon as she saw his face, he held out the dress towards her and her already bright smile brightened even further,

"Mike," she gasped and gently took the dress away from him and held the dress to her - seeing that it the perfect size for her.

 _"It reminded me of you,"_ Mike said, and El smiled up at him.

"Thank you, Mike," El smiled at him and a kiss was placed on his cheek.

"You're welcome," he said, kissing her cheek in return and watched as she stood up to go put her new dress on.


	3. No, no, it's my treat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One of Mike and El's weekly dates.

**3\. No, no, it's my treat**

* * *

Much like every weekend, Mike Wheeler and Jane 'El' Hopper were on their weekly Saturday night date.

After Mike had gotten his driving license - he was free to take his girlfriend out to new places where they wouldn't have gotten to before on his bike or by walking. Mike saw his license as freedom and a chance to have quiet time with El.

This weeks date consisted of a picnic at the lookout spot looking over Hawkins. They were sat on the bonnet of the car eating the Eggos, she hated cold Eggos, they just didn't taste the same as they did when they were hot and straight out of the toaster.

"Mike," The teen smiled at her loving boyfriend. "You didn't have to do all this for me!" She continued to smile as she pulled out Karen's triple-decker chocolate brownie. It was one of Elle's favourite things that Karen Wheeler can bake.

" _No, no, it's my treat._ " Mike smiled and handed Elle the chocolate brownie then got off the bonnet and to grab a blanket from the backseat. Mike then climbed back onto the car and wrapped the blanket around both of them.

Mike smiled and watched as his girlfriend quickly eating her square of his mom's triple-decker chocolate brownie. 

* * *

As Mike and El pulled up outside the Byers' home, El smiled when she saw the porch light turn on. Her dad, Hopper, had installed it months ago - almost giving himself either an electric shock or a heart attack when he turned it on.

"Thank you for taking me out Mike, " El smiled at her boyfriend, unbuckling her seatbelt and turning to face him. Mike had noticed there was a tiny bit of melted chocolate left on the side of her mouth.

"Anytime, he smiled, leaning over to wipe away the remaining chocolate. "I'll see you later, ok?" Mike continued to smile, and softly rubbed her cheek.


	4. Come here. Let me fix it

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jonathan and Nancy's wedding, Mike has a little trouble.

**4\. Come here. Let me fix it.**

* * *

Mike was attempting to tie his tie for Nancy's wedding to Jonathan Byers. El walked in and smiled at her long-term boyfriend (who's going on to 19 years old).

"Mike?" She has a slight smirk on her face. Mike looked at El in the mirror and pouted as he couldn't tie his tie. "Do you want some help?" She lightly teased but smiled at him either way.

"Yes please." He continued to pout, except when El walked up to him and suddenly twisted her ankle. Mike watched in shock as she practically keeled over in agony.

"OW! Ow, ow, ow!" El hobbled back to Mike's old bed and sat down. She hissed in pain and held her ankle, heavily breathing through the pain.

"El? Are you ok?" Mike asked, slowly making his way to his girlfriend (who is also heading towards 19).

"Yeah." She gently put her foot back on the floor. " _Come here. Let me fix it_." El motioned to the tie laying limply around Mike's neck.

Mike smiled at El and continued to make his way over to her and let her fix his tie. He smiled at her currently bare face - thankful that she currently isn't wearing any makeup. Mike continued to smile at her, reached out and ran his fingers through her fluffy, curly brown hair. 

As soon as Mike tie was tied, Elle let it rest against his chest and smiled up at him.

"Thank you, babe." Mike pressed a kiss to his girlfriend's forehead. There were the 3 words sat on the end of his tongue, but he didn't have the confidence nor the strength to say them to her.

* * *

El was Nancy's maid of honour (because if Barb was still here, Barb would definitely be in El's place and El would be a bridesmaid like Max), which Karen found really sweet.

Karen wasn't Mike and El's biggest supporter (they trophy went to Dustin Henderson) but she knew that they were going to be together for the rest of their lives.

"Who's going to be the next to get married?" Karen overheard Dustin say, with his arm around his girlfriend - Louise.

"Maybe those two," She heard Lucas said, and when she looked around the corner and saw Lucas pointing at her son and his long-term girlfriend, El.

The two looked like they were one person, you couldn't tell where one ended and the other began. It was rather sweet.


	5. I'll walk you home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mike walks el home after a movie marathon.

**5\. I'll walk you home.**

* * *

El was sat next to Mike as they watched a cheesy film - Dirty Dancing from 1987. Mike wasn't a big fan of the so-called 'classic', but when he watched it with El and saw her face light up, he knew it was worth it.

They watched Frances "Baby" Houseman do the final dance with Johnny Castle (which is how Nancy and El came up with the nickname 'Johnny' for Jonathan). Mike hadn't been paying any attention to the tape that was playing when El looked up at him.

"Hi," he reached up and gently stroked her soft cheek. He was so lucky to have her in his life.

"Hi," she whispered and reached over to run her fingers through his black hair - which was a huge comparison to his pale, white face and his freckled cheeks. 

* * *

Mike rewound the tape and looked back at his girlfriend as he smiled happily at her.

" _I'll walk you home,_ " Mike said, holding her hand, once the tape had finished rewinding.

She smiled happily at Mike and nodded, allowing him to walk her home. The pair smiled and walked up the stairs to get their coats and shoes

" MOM! I'M WALKING JANE HOME!" Mike shouted, taking his coat off the hook and putting it around him. Followed by helping El into hers.

"BE BACK HOME FOR DINNER, MICHAEL!" His mom shouted back from the kitchen.

"El's going home?" Holly walked up to him and started to pout.

"Go say bye to her then," Mike said, his little sister then ran through the house and straight into his girlfriend's arms.

* * *

Mike and El stood outside El's home with the Byers and Hopper. Mike smiled, it wasn't going to be his last time seeing his girlfriend - there is only a train ride apart. They were going to take it in turns to see each other over the upcoming weekends at each other's Universities.

"This isn't goodbye, El, even though we don't say goodbye anymore," Mike said, reaching out and taking her face in his hands. She smiled at him, but it didn't reach her eyes like it should.

"I know, Mike." She said, softly, almost reverting back to the state she was when he first met her in 1983.

"We're going to see each other every weekend. I am always going to be with you, even with the amount of distance that is going to be between us." Mike said, wrapping her up in a tight hug.


	6. Have a great day at work

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mike teases El before they go to work.

**6\. Have a great day at work.**

* * *

Mike was taking the Eggos out of the toaster, waiting for his wife to walk down the stairs. He's so proud of her, finally becoming a speech therapist. He knew that she thought he was the reason why she became a speech therapist - how much he helped her with her speech when they were teenagers.

He smiled as she walked down the stairs, in a white blouse, a cropped light pink blazer, a pair of black trousers and black heels in her hand.

"Morning, baby." He smiled and handed her her lunch in a brown paper bag - like when they were at school and a Ziplock bag with some Eggos in it.

"Morning," Jane 'El' Wheeler said, taking the brown bag and pulling it into her satchel and then taking the Ziplock bag, opened it and started munching on an Eggo.

Mike smiled at his wife, as she eats her Eggo happily.

"I probably should go to work." His wife said, wrapping her arms around Mike's torso and resting her head where his heart should be, hearing it's thumping in her ear.

Mike pressed a kiss to the top of her head and let her go to work.

" _Have a great day,_ " Mike said, hearing her house and car keys jangle.

"Zip it, Mike!" She exclaimed, she still had a smile on her face -  she would never ever be able to get mad at Mike.

* * *

El walked in the door of their apartment, her arms stacked with folders and documents. To the point where she was almost falling over from the sheer quantity.

"Oh my god, El! How many files did you bring home?" Mike asks, taking more than half from the pile that she already has.

"I honestly don't know," she said, looking at Mike as they put the files on the coffee table. She leaned her head back and rested it against Mike's collarbone.


	7. I dreamt about you last night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> El stays over at the Wheeler's after a long night of Star Wars.

**7\. I dreamt about you last night.**

* * *

Mike smiled as his girlfriend walked through the door, yawning and rubbing her eyes. Mike walked to her and gave her a happy, snuggly hug.

"Morning El," he said, nuzzling his nose into where her hair ends and her neck starts. It was his favourite spot on her, it's where most of El's 'true scent' rested, and it made him feel so much at him.

"Hi, Mike." She said, tiredly resting her head over where his heart should be, hearing his soothing heartbeat. She always loved hearing his heartbeat - a soothing beat that she missed for nearly a year.

" _I dreamt about you last night,_ " Mike said, running his fingers through her hair and they both gently swayed side to side.

"Yeah?" El asked, taking her head away from his chest and looked up into his eyes.

"Yeah," Mike nodded, "We were walking through a flower field, and then somehow it started snowing and we got in a snowball fight."

Mike could feel El's shoulder move as she let out light laughter. The famous TV show of the 1980s -  _Danger Mouse_ , made Mike and Elle smile at the TV and climb into Mike's dad's Lay-Z-Boy and laid cuddled up watching one of their favourite cartoons in the morning. 

* * *

"A snowball fight?" She asks, not just looking confused, but looking horrified. She hated snow, even since the winter of 1983.

"Yeah, it's really fun. Snow is like frozen rain, you compact it into a ball and you throw it at people," he explained, and could only watch as El shook her head explaining without words that she didn't ever want to play in the snow.

"You don't like the snow?" He asks, watching her shake her head again as she starts to explain what happened during the time she was taken into the Upside Down by the Demogorgon and until the time she was taken in by Hopper on Christmas Eve.


	8. Take my seat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A packed cafeteria and Mike gives up his seat for El.

**8\. Take my seat.**

* * *

El walked into the cafeteria with Max at Hawkins High, they'd been attached at the hip since El joined at the start of Freshman Year, despite how she acted towards the Zommer off the group when they first met in 1984.

"Hey guys," Max smiled, sitting in between Lucas and Dustin - the triangle that had been going on between the 3 back in 8th grade was over by the time of the Snow Ball of 1984.

"Hi," there was the chorus of Will, Lucas, Dustin and Mike. Mike smiled at his girlfriend and got up out of his seat.

" _Take my seat,"_ Mike said, standing up out of his seat and walking to get another chair.

El reached out and grabbed Mike hand, placed a kiss on his cheek. "Thank you, Mike."

"You're welcome, babe."

* * *

"He's getting on my nerves," Max said, her head falling against the cafeteria table, just missing El's pasta salad.

"You shouldn't have gotten detention within the first week of being in his class," El says, picking out the tomatoes Hopper had put in her lunch. Her father knew she hated tomatoes, and just put them in to annoy her.

"Shut up, little miss goody two shoes," Max said, rolling her eyes at El and picking at the burger and fries she'd gotten from the kitchen - the only 'good' thing that is edible.


	9. I saved a piece for you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mike saves a piece of Lucas's birthday cake for a sick El.

**9\. I saved a piece for you.**

* * *

El was sick on Lucas's 16th birthday, making her bed-ridden at the Byers/Hoppers. Tucked up with multiple blankets, a sick bucket next to her, her shoulder length hair tied up. Joyce walking in every couple of minutes, worrying over her baby girl.

She was happily dozing, when there was a gentle and quiet knock on her bedroom door. El pulled a face and gently rolled over, facing the door. 

* * *

Mike pushed open the door and saw his other half, gently snoozing on her bed.  He smiled and quietly padded over to her snoozing form and crouched down.

"El?" He whispered and ran his fingers over her blanket covered shoulder. 

* * *

El was woken up by the sound of Mike's voice, she sleepily opened one eye and looked at the young man before her. She smiled and slowly opened her other eye.

"Hey, beautiful," Mike smiled, he stroked the side of her face.

El smiled and waved at him, scared that if she opens her mouth she'll be sick.

"I went to Lucas's party, he loved the present you got him," Mike said, smiling remembering Lucas's smiling seeing the hoodie  _No one is perfect, except those born in 1971_.

" _I saved a piece for you,_ " Mike said, holding up a paper plate with something wrapped in a napkin. "It's Lucas's chocolate cake."

El smiled as a thank you and reached over and gently stroked his face.


	10. I'm sorry for your loss.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Byers lose their favourite buddy.

**10\. I'm sorry for your loss.**

* * *

Jonathan (who now lives in New York with his girlfriend - soon to be fiancée, Nancy), Will, Lucas, Max, Dustin, Mike and El who are going to college after the summer. They stood in front of a hole dug in the back garden, as Jonathan carried Chester - the family's beloved pet dog - towards the hole.

Mike wrapped his arm around El's quivering shoulders, as she heavily sobbed. Lucas and Dustin comforted Will, while Max gently stroked Jonathan's arm as he attempted to keep his cries in.

El pulled out Chester's favourite chew toy in Chester's paws, who was still cradled against Jonathan. A tear dropped onto his fur, and she placed a kiss on his dry snout.

"Night Chester," El said, exhaling a long breath and walked back into Mike's arms. She let out loud sobs and gripped the back of his jacket. Refusing to let go, as if she did then he'd die just like Chester did.

" _I'm sorry_ ," Mike whispered in El's ear, "I'm so sorry El," He swayed them back and forth and ran his fingers through El's hair. 

* * *

El was curled up in Mike's embrace holding onto him so tightly like she was going to lose him like she lost Chester.

"I'm not going anywhere, El. Absolutely nowhere," Mike said, holding her close to his chest, letting her hear his heartbeat.


	11. You can have my half

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jopper elope, and El brings back a piece of the wedding for Mike.

**11\. You can have my half.**

* * *

El walked into Mike's bedroom, with a piece of cake wrapped in a napkin. El knocked on his bedroom door, and Mike looked up from his Chemistry homework.

"Hello, you," she said, walking to where Mike was sat at his desk and ran her fingers through his fluffy black hair.

"Hi, stranger," Mike said. El was in Las Vegas last week with Joyce, Hopper, Jonathan and Will - Joyce and Hopper eloped in Vegas. Karen refused to let Mike go to Las Vegas with the Byers + Hopper, saying that he needed to go to school.

Mike was already a straight-A student, he hardly would have thought that a week out of school would have changed that.

"I got a piece of cake from Joyce and dad's wedding," she said, holding up the napkin wrapped cake. The first time El called Hopper 'dad' when he dropped her off at the arcade for the first time - leaving him sitting in the car with shock plastered over his face. She was yet to call Joyce 'mom', her main reason being Terry, her mama.

" _You can have my half_ ," El said, handing Mike the napkin and smiling at him. Mike took the napkin covered cake and split the cake in half and handed it back to her.

"I got it for you, I've already had a bucket full of cake already," it had taken her a short amount of time to understand different meanings of words.


	12. Take my jacket, it's cold outside

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Winter hits Hawkins, and El hates it.

**12\. Take my jacket, it's cold outside.**

* * *

 

El was going to the little job she has at the comic book store, she was able to get the boys and Max discounts when they go to get new comic books at the end of the week. She has a long sleeve t-shirt, a pair of jeans and was pulling on her winter boots.

Mike looked up from reading his comic book and smiled at El. She was about to reach for her winter coat when Mike realised that El taking his winter coat would make her a whole lot warmer.

"El?" He said, making her look away from the coat hooks and to him, her face instantly brightened the second she saw him.

" _Take my jacket, it's cold outside,_ " Mike said, standing up from the couch and took his jacket off the hook. He smiled as he helped El into it, seeing look as twice as big as it looks on him.

"It's way too big, Mike." She says, before starting to take it off.

"Keep it on, it'll keep you warm, I don't want to see my baby shivering," Mike said, smiling at his baby. 

* * *

Mike walked into the comic book store, with the rest of the party, shivering slightly.

He was wearing his old coat, from the winter before, it was shorter than the one he let El borrow earlier this morning.

"Why didn't you give me that one?" The girl who was stood behind the counter said. Jane 'El' Hopper. Mike's girl.

"I didn't think about this one..." Mike says, looking down at his coat and then looking at his girlfriend.

El toddled into what Mike assumes is the backroom, and she came back, his large coat in hand. She pushes it to him over the counter.

"Thank you, beautiful," Mike said, pecking her cheek and handing her the coat he just had on his cheek.


	13. Sorry I'm late

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hopper accidentally makes El late for a date with Mike.

**13\. Sorry I'm late.**

* * *

Mike was sat outside the refurbished  _Benny's_ \- Mike knew what Benny did for El and he would be eternally grateful for him. The young man was sat outside, waiting for the appearance of his girlfriend, who was most likely caught up with her adoptive father, Jim Hopper.

The police car drove up in front of him, and El climbed out of the passenger seat. She waved bye to Hopper and walked to Mike.

" _Sorry I'm late,_ " she said, intertwining her fingers with Mike's. "Dad and I got into another argument about when I'd be home." She sighed, resting her heavy head on Mike's shoulder.

"It's okay, El. You're here now." Mike said, wrapping his arms around her.

"I kind of told my dad that I was staying at yours," El said, shuffling her feet on the ground. Mike smiled down at her and ran his fingers through her curly hair.

"That's totally fine by me," this made El smile up at Mike. "Half of your clothes are at mine anyway."

* * *

Mike and El sat across from each other in the restaurant and Benny, the man who taught El  _'Smile'_ and  _'Ice Cream'_  walked to them and smiled at the pair.

"Hello, you two." Benny ruffled El's hair and she smiled shyly up at him. "What do you two want?"

El continued to look over the menu with wide eyes, only remembering the food she had when she snuck in all those years ago.

"Do you want what you had the last time you were in here?" Benny asks El, and she enthusiastically nods her head and hands Benny the menu.

"Burger and fries. And two strawberry milkshakes, please Benny."


	14. Can I have this dance?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 1987, Junior Year, Snowball.

**14\. Can I have this dance?**

* * *

' _Every Breath You Take_ ' was playing over the speakers at 1987, Junior Year, Snowball. Mike looked up from fiddling with the tablecloth and looked at El. His girlfriend.

"El?" She looked up from her small platter of food in front of her. " _Can I have this dance?_ " He asked, holding out his hand for her.

She nodded happily and took Mike's hand. They walked onto the dance floor. El's hands made it around Mike's neck and Mike's hands rest lightly on her hips.

El smiled up at Mike, as he saw the lovely light in her eyes. She then rested her head on his shoulder, and a red blush fluttered over his cheeks. 

* * *

Mike and El were stood outside waiting for Karen to arrive. Even though both Mike and El had their driver's licenses, Karen and Ted refused to give Mike a car until his grades were good enough (even though he got one B in a single test).

"Did you have fun tonight?" Mike asked, looking down at his girlfriend and watching her nod happily as she smiles up at him. "Good,"


	15. I made your favourite

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> El makes Mike's favourite sweet treat.

**15\. I made your favourite.**

* * *

El finished frosting the chocolate chip cupcakes she had made when Mike walked through the door.

"El? Babe?" Mike called, looking for his best friend, his girlfriend and his favourite person all wrapped up in one person, not seeing her in the living room.

"I'm in the kitchen!" She shouted, pulling out the freshly baked cupcakes out of the oven.

"Hello," Mike said, wrapping his arms around her waist, then looking at the cupcakes in front of them. "What were you doing while I was in class?" Mike asked, reaching out to grab one of the cupcakes. Only for his hand to be playfully smacked.

" _I made your favourite_ ," El said, smiling at Mike over her shoulder.

"Thank you, El," he placed a kiss to her temple. "What did I do to deserve you?" This is a question he continuously asks himself every day. 

* * *

Mike leans against the counter, watching his girlfriend slowly and gently add the frosting to the top of each cupcake.

He was waiting patiently for her to finish icing them and add the chocolate sprinkles over the top.

"If you stop fidgeting, I'll be able to focus more," El muttered, sticking her tongue out.


	16. It's okay. I couldn't sleep anyway

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> El has a nightmare, and Mike is there to comfort her.

**16\. It's okay. I couldn't sleep anyway.**  

* * *

El woke up suddenly, sweat rolling down her forehead in large droplets, panting and crying. She instantly reached for the phone on her bedside table and dialled the Wheelers. 

* * *

The phone alerted Mike, who was working on his latest campaign, he quickly reached for the blue phone in his room before Nancy or his parents answered.

"Hello?" He whispered, not wanting to awaken his father further. 

* * *

El smiled when Mike answered, she let out a slightly audible sigh. The images from her nightmare had shaken her so much that she rung Mike. Usually, she's crawl into bed at Joyce's side.

"Mike," she said, gripping the phone in her hand making her knuckles go white. 

* * *

Mike's eyebrows scrunched when he heard his girlfriend's voice at the other end of the line. He wondered why she was awake at this time in the morning. But instantly guessed she had had a nightmare and instead of seeking comfort from Joyce, she rang him. It must have been a nightmare.

"El? Are you okay, baby?" He asked, pushing his dungeon masters book away. 

* * *

El could hear the worry in Mike's voice and instantly wondered if she woke him up. She had sworn to his parents that she wouldn't interfere with his school work. It slightly questioned whether the Wheelers were happy with her dating their son...

"Yeah, just a bad nightmare. I didn't wake you, did I?" El asked, fiddling with the phone cord. 

* * *

Mike smiled as El worried over him. He was the one to usually worry about her. It made his heart flutter when she worried about him. He knew El didn't like the idea of Mike not getting the amount of sleep he should be getting.

"You sure you're ok, El?" He asked, then remembered the second part of her question. " _It's okay. I couldn't sleep anyway._ " Mike knew it was a little lie, but sometimes little lies are ok. 

El sighed and instantly knew Mike was lying. She knew sometimes lying was ok, but she just didn't like the idea of Mike lying to her.

"Mike, boyfriend's don't lie," she had tweaked it a bit from 'friends don't lie'.

* * *

Mike looked at the notebook and his dungeon masters book sat on his bed and smiled down at his lap.

"I was working on the campaign," Mike said, El didn't play  _Dungeons and Dragons_  with the boys, thinking she would be interfering. 

* * *

El smiled and propped herself up in bed. Jonathan's head came around her bedroom door and instantly saw his little sister on the phone - most likely to Michael Wheeler. He waved at her, and she waved back. Jonathan shut the door behind him and went back to bed.

"Tell me what you got so far," El said, Mike instantly launched into the campaign he was planning for the boys.


	17. Watch your Step

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mike takes El out on a date.

**17\. Watch your step.**

* * *

Mike had covered El's eyes with one of his hands and his other held her hand guiding her. He was taking her on a little picnic in the park.

There was a tree trunk in the middle of the path and Mike stopped making El stop.

"Ok," he said, taking a tight grip on her hand and then climbs over the tree trunk. "I'm going to take my hand away from your face, but I need you to have your eyes closed," Mike explained and watched as El nodded.

" _Watch your step_ ," Mike said, watching El climb over the tree truck. He smiled when she made it safely over the truck and they continued to walk to the picnic that Mike had set up. 

* * *

Mike took his hands off El's face and showed her where he had taken her.

The middle of Mirkwood, near to where they first met.

"Mike? Where are we?" She asks, looking around, trying to see if she recognised anything.

"We're in Mirkwood... we met somewhere around here," Mike said, looking around trying to pinpoint where he'd met El.

"Mike," El said, looking up at him, with what Max calls her 'heart eyes'.


	18. Here, drink this. You'll feel better

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mike is sick, El helps to look after him.

**18\. Here, drink this. You'll feel better.**

* * *

Mike was in his bed, curled up sniffling. He let out a loud and heavy cough and blew his nose into a tissue and chucked it towards his bin.

There was a knock on his closed door and Mike just lets out a whine, as his head disagreeing with every movement Mike makes.

The door is gently pushed over and stood there in the doorway is Mike's perfect girlfriend, Jane 'El' Hopper.

"Hey, sweetie," she cooed, tentatively padding to Mike. She determined his temperature by pulling the back of her hand on his forehead. "You've still got a temperature,"

Mike sniffled in response, and El pulled out some medicine. " _Here, drink this. You'll feel better._ " Mike smiled at her and took the medicine bottle from her.

She went into the bathroom and wetted a washcloth with cold water and walked back into Mike's room and put the cloth on his forehead.

"I hope you get better soon, honey," El said, running her fingers through his black hair. 

* * *

El watched from Mike's bedside as he fell asleep, her hands still running through his hair.

"You overwork yourself sometimes, babe," El said, running her hand along his cheek, as her boyfriend slowly started to drool on her hand. 

Despite the drool slowly starting to attack the pillow he was sleeping on, she still found him the most handsome young man in front of her.


	19. Can I hold your hand?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mike is shy, and cheesy to ask El a simple.

**19\. Can I hold your hand?**

* * *

Before Mike and El first started dating, there were only small peaks on their cheeks.

One day, when the sun was beating down on Hawkins, Indiana. Max and El were sat on two lawn chairs in the Wheelers' backyard with sunglasses (Max -blue mirror glasses, El - black and pink Wayfarers).

Mike walked out into his backyard, squinting as the sunlight hit his eyes, and walked to Max and El with suntan lotion. He walked to the girls and handed the suntan lotion 

"El?" Mike said, looking down at his girlfriend. She lifted her sunglasses and looked at Mike.

"Yeah, Mike?" She asked, smiling at him. Her cheeks pink from the sun and her boyfriend, her skin getting slightly brown/red.

" _Can I hold your hand?_ " Mike asks, holding his hand out. El smiles at Mike politeness and takes his hand in hers.

Mike sat under the umbrella, with his hand intertwined with El's he watched, along with El and Max, as Holly and Will battled in the newly installed swimming pool against Dustin and Lucas. 

* * *

Mike and El sat under their umbrella, nobody knowing who's fingers belong to who. Holly was now hopping across the burning floor to her older brother and his girlfriend.

"Ellie? Can you come into the pool?" Holly begged, pulling at El's hand. The girl looked at her boyfriend, scared of going in the pool. With the amount of abuse that she had as a young child, she hated going in the pool.

"I'll go in with you, ok, baby," Mike said, letting go of her hand and helping her up off the outdoor sofa Hopper had helped Steve put outside.


	20. You can borrow mine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> El lends Mike her keys.

**20\. You can borrow mine.**

* * *

Mike was looking for his car keys (both Mike and El are insured on each other's car) when El walked up behind her fiancé and held out her car keys in front of Mike's face.

" _You can borrow mine_ ," El said, smiling over Mike's shoulder. Mike smiled back at his fiancée and ran his fingers through her curly hair.

"Thank you, baby," Mike said, he gave her a tight, yet loving, hug. And pecked her cheeks multiple times.

Mike swayed back and forth, humming an old 60's/70's song in her ear. He didn't exactly want to work just yet. He loved being at El's side. 

* * *

When Mike came back from work, he found his fiancée leaning over a huge pile of books on their kitchen table.

"Babe, have you been working at this, all day?" Mike asked, looking over her shoulder to see what she is working on. "Have you had anything to eat?"

He started to worry when she shook her head, flicking over pages in her social studies book. That's when he made her a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.


	21. You might like this

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> El has something different for breakfast.

**21\. You might like this.**  

* * *

Mike went to go make breakfast and pulled out the usual yellow box. But something about this box, that was different.

_Eggo French Toaster Sticks._

Mike slightly pulled a face, but shrugged his shoulders and put the French toast sticks in the toaster.

Once they were done, Mike put them on a plate and drizzled maple syrup over the toast sticks. He knew she liked maple syrup on her French toast, so he thought she would like the maple syrup on her French toast sticks. 

* * *

When he went back into his bedroom, he saw his beloved girlfriend still laying in his bed - dreaming about whatever she dreams about. Well, she was slowly waking up, something she'd gotten into the habit about with Hopper over the year that she was away from him.

He watched with his soft brown eyes as the girl (who is maturing softly into a young woman) rubbed her eyes and let out a cat-like yawn.

Mike walked to her and sat next to her with the plate on his lap.

"Good morning," he whispered, placing a kiss on her cheek.

"Morning," El yawned and rested her head on his upper shoulder.

" _You might like this,_ " Mike said, handing El the plate and she looked at what would be her beloved Eggos, but where in place of some sort of toast.

"Mike?" She questioned what was on her plate, without even saying the question.

"These are French toast sticks, it's like the French toast that Hopper makes for you but it's just cut up into sticks," She nodded and continued to look up at her boyfriend. "There were no more waffles, I think Holly had the last of them for her breakfast," Mike said and watched her face fall into a pout.


	22. It's not heavy. I'm stronger than I look

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mike thinks he can carry a box of cutlery and thinks he can carry it.
> 
> He can't.

**22\. It's not heavy. I'm stronger than I look.**

* * *

Mike was helping the moving men carry the boxes into his and El's new apartment.

"Mike, the moving men can carry the boxes totally fine," El said, taking the box of stuffed animals that Mike had over his childhood from him and pulling it on their new couch.

Mike then picked up a box of cutlery, which made El suddenly shift, from looking at the box of stuffed animals to Mike carrying the box of cutlery.

"Mike? Are you sure you can carry that?" She asked, worry lacing her voice.

" _It's not heavy. I'm stronger than I look._ " Mike said, making El raise her eyebrows.

"You couldn't carry me when we were 12, you mouthbreather!" She said, not once sounding angry or mad. "Gimmie the box," she said, holding her arms out.

"No," Mike said like he was a little boy refusing to give Karen one of his toys back.

"Give me the box," El said, before quickly snatching the box off Mike and strutting into the kitchen.

"Now did you do that?" Mike questioned, trailing after El - forgetting about the other boxes in the moving van. 

* * *

Mike and El look around their new apartment, large grins plastered on both of their faces. Their apartment. They'd officially moved in together.

"This is it," Mike said, his hand running through El's hair, looking over at the door to their new room. THEIR bedroom. The room he shares with his fiancée.

"Yes, this is it,"


	23. I'll wait

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> University around the corner, El promises to wait.

**23\. I'll wait.**  

* * *

Mike was going to university - on the other side of America, over a thousand miles away from Elle.

Mike stood in his bedroom with his girlfriend. He really didn't want to leave her in Hawkins, all on her own.

"Elle, I don't want to leave you here on your own," Mike said, running his fingers through her hair.

" _I'll wait,_ " She smiled sadly, bringing Mike into a tight hug. 

* * *

\- 5½ weeks later -

El was sat on the train on the way to go see Mike. The carry on that she had been given by Karen for her 18th birthday sat in the seat next to her. She sat next to the window, doing a crossword.

Doing crosswords was rather quickly improving her knowledge, although she did have to ask Mike for help sometimes.

"I'll see you soon, Mike," she muttered, before falling asleep against the window.


	24. Just because

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> El buys Mike something.

**24\. Just because.**

* * *

El handed Mike his birthday present. Mike smiled at her.

"You didn't have to get me anything, El," Mike said, cradling his present from Elle to his chest.

" _Just because,_ " she said, smiling at Mike, knowing what was in his present.

Mike smiled, either way, and gently opened his present. There sat before him was the extended edition of  _Dungeons and Dragons._

"El," he said, gently putting the box on the coffee table and wrapped El in a tight hug. 

* * *

El sat on the basement sofa of the Wheeler home, watching her boyfriend and his best friend's playing with the new Dungeon's and Dragon's she bought him for his birthday.

"Why did you have to buy that for them?" Max said, looking over at her boyfriend and his best friend's.

"It makes them happy," El said, smiling at the 4 boys.


	25. Look both ways

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mike teaches El a little thing about the road.

**25\. Look both ways.**  

* * *

Mike and El had their fingers intertwined, anytime you can find them - they were holding hands, refusing to let go. Crossing the road.

They currently haven't been dating for long, couple of months.

El was about to cross the road when Mike pulled her back, worry written all over his face.

" _Look both ways,_ " Mike reminded El, and she nodded. Two seconds later, a bus drove past making El's curly hair and Mike's straight locks flutter around their faces.


	26. I'm sorry. I didn't mean it

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mike and El were doing something unlike themselves.

**26\. I'm sorry. I didn't mean it.**  

* * *

Mike and El were doing something unlike themselves. Fighting. Even before they were dating, Mike and El rarely argued.

"If you didn't create the Upside Down, Will wouldn't have gone missing!" Mike shouted, making her frown slightly.

"If I didn't create the Upside Down, then you wouldn't have met me!" She said, crossing her arms, glaring at her fiancé.

"Sometimes I wonder what my life would be like if I didn't meet you," Mike said, and then backtracked and remembered what he said. "El, baby," He put his hands over his mouth.

El shook her head and handed her engagement ring back. She then left the apartment she shared with Mike. 

* * *

\- 4 days later -

Mike walked up to Max's apartment door. He had heavy, black bags under his eyes, tear stains down his cheeks. He took a deep breath in and gently tapped on the door.

The door opened to reveal one of his best friends, Max. She gasped at the sight of a destroyed Mike Wheeler.

"Is El here?" Mike asked, his voice rough from the amount of crying he'd done over 4 days.

"She went out to the grocery store, get some fresh air and stuff from the grocery store," Max said and watched as Mike's shoulders slumped. "Come in, buddy,"

Mike gave a small smile. "How's she been since-?" He refused to finish the sentence. His already broken heart, cracking even more.

"If I'm being honest, she's barely left my place since she got here. Constantly crying and eating ice cream. I had to push in the shower, she stunk." Max said, watching Mike's face crumble even more.

The door opened once more, and shuffling was heard as well as sniffling. "I couldn't get any of those stupid batteries you need-" El said, walking into the living room where Mike and Max stood. "-ed."

"El," He whispered, and as soon as El dropped the brown paper bags in her hands, he raced over and scooped her up in his arms. " _I'm sorry. I didn't mean it,_ " Mike said, stroking her curly hair.

"I'm sorry Mike," she sobbed, gripping on to the back of Mike's jacket, taking her head away from his shoulder and looked at his face. "Oh, Mike," she sniffled, running her fingers along his tear tracks and the bags under his eyes.

Mike reached into his pocket and pulled out her engagement ring. " Jane Hopper, El, baby, I'm sorry for what I said 4 days ago. I'm really sorry from the bottom of my heart. Will you take me back and marry me?" Mike asked, and El smiled at him.

"You do realise that you could have just put the ring on my finger," El said, and Mike's face brightened - becoming the Michael Wheeler she fell in love with.

Mike let out a laugh and slipped her ring back on her finger. El smiled at the ring firmly placed back on her hand.

"Really, same ring?" She jokingly asked, making Mike laugh once more. Mike brought El as close as humanly possible.

Max stood in the background, smiling at her two best friends who got engaged once more.


	27. Try some

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> El tries something new that Mike loves.

**27\. Try some.**

* * *

Mike was sat at the kitchen table, eating his usual breakfast - scrambled eggs and maple syrup.

El padded down into the Wheeler dining room, getting a morning wave from Nancy, a "good morning, sweetheart," from Karen, a slight glare from Ted (who really didn't approve of his son's girlfriend). Mike smiled at his girlfriend and held his hand out for her, not caring what his father thinks. Little Holly Wheeler smacked the table, waiting impatiently for her breakfast.

"MOMMY!" Despite her blonde hair, Holly Wheeler was everything like her brother and sister - extremely loud and extremely bright. "ELLIE!" She exclaimed seeing her brother's girlfriend, who she'd become extremely attached to. Another thing like her siblings, she loved El - in a different way than her brother.

El smiled at the little girl and picked her up. She peppered Holly's face with kisses and set her on her him. "Hello, little miss," This made Holly squeal with delight, she loved being called  _little miss_ by Jane 'El' Hopper.

"Ellie!" Holly's hands gripped her pyjama t-shirt, her head came to rest in the crook of her neck. Because of her missing front teeth, she calls El -  _Ellie_ , and she sounds like Dustin.

"What are you doing today madam?" El asks, looking at the youngest Wheeler. "Are you going to... the dentist?" She taps her teeth and Holly shakes her head. "Are you going to... school?" Holly nodded her enthusiastically.

Mike smiled at his girlfriend and his little sister, talking about today - Holly doing the most talking. He loved that his little sister adored El. His mom walked in with Holly's breakfast, and El put Holly back in her seat. Holly started to whine as El let her go but smiled when her breakfast was put in front of her.

Mike patted the chair next to him and smiled at his girlfriend. Karen asked what El wanted for breakfast, which was a stupid question when she promptly replied with a polite smile, 'Eggos, please'.

Mike then covered his scrambled eggs with maple syrup. Nancy watched from the other side of the table as El crinkled her eyebrows, cock her head to the side and scrunch her nose.

"Mike?" She asked, looking at the maple syrup covered eggs.

" _Try some,_ " Mike said, holding out his fork with some of his breakfast on it to El.

She looked questionably at the food on his fork - much like when he gave her an Eggo for the first time - and took the fork out of his hand and ate the small amount of maple syrup eggs.

El's tongue was quite use to sweet stuff (thanks to her father, Jim) so she automatically liked it. Which made Nancy roll her eyes, thinking how stupid it was that her brother got his girlfriend to like maple syrup covered eggs.


	28. Drive safely

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mike was driving back to his university.

**28\. Drive safely.**

* * *

Mike was driving back to his university. El was stood by the driver side window, and the window rolled down. There was the noise of other sobbing couples around the parking lot.

"Call me when you get there, ok?" El asked, looking overly worried at her boyfriend.

"Of course I will, baby," Mike said, leaning his arm out of the window and stroked El's face.

" _Drive safely,_ " she asked/stated, not wanting anything to happen to her precious Mike.

"See you soon, Aphrodite," Mike said, making El smiled/laugh/sigh, and place a loving kiss on his forehead. El was minoring in Greek gods and goddesses, and  _Aphrodite_ was the famous goddess of love.

"See you soon, my amazing Hero," El said, making Mike blush. El always saw Mike as her hero - the one she always thought of and heard the most of with her three hundred and fifty-three days apart. 

* * *

El sat on her bed, Mike has gone back to his university, she already missed him so much.

That's when she saw the blue hoodie laying haphazardly on the end of her bed.

Mike's favourite hoodie.  
With a piece of paper sat on top.

 _El,_  
_I already miss you so much, and I wish that we never had to separate. Why didn't we think of going to the same college..._  
_But, I know that I have one of your jumpers (that you stole off Hopper... Cheeky ♡) so, I want you to have my favourite._  
_I love you so much, my pretty girl._  
_Love,_  
_Mike._


	29. Well, what do you want to do?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The party's favourite TV show finishes forever.

**29\. Well, what do you want to do?**  

* * *

The finale episode of F.R.I.E.N.D.S. playing on the TV. Mike had his arm around his wife, El. Will at her El's side with his boyfriend Joey. Sat beside Mike was his longest friend Lucas with his current girlfriend, Lily. And sat in front of the group on the couch was Dustin and his fiancé Max.

"I can't believe it's over," Will said, watching the credits roll over the TV screen one last time.

"I know," Max said, rather sadly. The group of 8 had watched every episode altogether (apart from Lucas's girlfriends who are constantly changing less than a year at a time).

" _Well, what do you want to do?_ " Mike asks El, who looks at the coffee table with a curious look.

"I don't know," El said, looking up at Mike. Then there was the loud cry of Mike and El's newborn baby. El placed a kiss to Mike's cheek and walked to comfort their baby.

Mike walked after El. She was gently rocking their baby back and forth in her arms, humming the lullaby Mike hummed to El when they were dating. Mike walked behind El and wrapped his arms around his beautiful wife and his baby. 

* * *

El walked back into the living room, after feeding and burping their baby. Mike slowly walking behind her, looking over his wife's shoulder at their beautiful baby, pulling faces at him.

"Is that my nephew, gimme gimme gimme," Will said, rushing to El's side, holding his hands out for his newborn son.

When El handed over her baby boy to Will, she looked at Mike. "Where are the kids?"

Still. At. School.  
School. Has. Finished...


	30. One more chapter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mike reads El the scariest book she knows. IT, by Stephen King.

**30\. One more chapter.**  

* * *

Mike was propped up in his bed with his girlfriend snuggled into his side, reading the most recent book by Stephen King, It.

"God, this is so creepy," Mike said, getting to the end of Chapter 3. He's about to reach for the bookmark when El grabs the arm reaching for the bookmark.

" _One more chapter,_ " El begs, not knowing what might be on the next page.

"You sure about this, sweetie?" Mike asks, looking down at his girlfriend, he'd heard what some people had said about it. He didn't want to give El nightmares.

She nodded and Mike slightly made a face and started to read Chapter 4. 

* * *

\- Middle of the night -

El was twisting and turning in bed, shuffling towards Mike and then away.

Before she started softly crying.

"Mike, Mike, no," which woke up the young man sleeping next to her.

"El?" He muttered, before looking down at her, watching her whimper in her sleep. Mike started to shake her, in order to awaken his girlfriend.

"El, are you ok? What's wrong?" Mike bombarded her with questions, as she looked around the room (almost like she had memory loss and had forgotten where she was...) before her eyes locked with Mike's and recognition flooded her face.

"Mike," 


	31. Don't worry about me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> El is injured, and Mike is worried.

**31\. Don't worry about me.**  

* * *

El had been thrown back by the Thessalhydra, flew back 20 feet and crashed into a tree. She crumpled against the tree.

Mike watched as the girl he became quickly attached to crash against a tree and dropped the hammer he held. He ran to her crumpled form and cradled her head in his hands.

"El?" Mike asks, opening one of her eyes with his thumb. "Are you okay?"

" _Don't worry about me,_ " El says, giving Mike a small smile - El knew Mike liked it when she smiled - and closing her eyes once more.

"El?" Mike asked, watching El shut her eyes. He was always worried about El, even from the second he met her. "Guys, El's passed out," Mike shouted. 

* * *

Kali, as well as the rest of the lab subjects that had been able to escape from Brenner's grip, had taken down the Tesslahydra - leaving it dead, on the ground.

Mike stands by Hopper, who had gently scooped her away from the tree trunk, he hurriedly checked her over, making sure his daughter was perfectly alright resting in his arms.

"Is she ok?" Mike asks, looking up at his girlfriend's father's face.

"Yeah, I'd say so," Hopper said, rubbing the back of his daughter's head, feeling a small lump on the back of her head but there was no blood when he pulled his hand away.

"Thank god, I wouldn't be able to survive it if she left me again," Mike said, running his fingers through the soft, bouncy curls that he's become extremely familiar with.

"None of us would,"


	32. It looks good on you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> El tries on prom dresses.

**32\. It looks good on you.**

* * *

El was trying on prom dresses for Senior Prom. She really wanted Mike's opinion on each dress she tries on.

El opened the curtain wearing the second to last dress in the pile of dresses she'd picked. She walked out and Mike stood up looking at his girlfriend in a beautiful floor-length red dress.

" _It looks good on you,_ " Mike said, standing behind El in the mirror smiling at her reflection.

"Just good?" She asks, with a small smirk/smile on her face. She looked at Mike in the reflection in the mirror.

"Pretty," one of the first words El learnt from Mike. "Beautiful, gorgeous, need I go on?" 

* * *

\- Prom Night -

Mike stands in the living room of the Byers-Hopper living room, waiting for his beloved girlfriend to walk to his side.

When she did, his jaw dropped to the floor, she looked absolutely gorgeous and beautiful.

"You look gorgeous, El," Mike said, kissing her cheek and putting the corsage on her wrist. 

* * *

Later that night, Will had gone to his boyfriend's, and Mike was helping his girlfriend into the Byers-Hopper's home, as she was just flat out exhausted after dancing with Max, Mike and the boys all night.

"Did you have fun?" Mike asks as she drops onto her bed like a dead piece of meat. He smiles either way, as he helps her take her shoes and let her sleep.

Hopper pushed his head through the door and smiled at Mike. "Stay the night, Wheeler," Hopper said, shutting the door as soon as he spoke.

Mike never found an excuse to fight against Hopper, but smiled, as he was finally spending the entire night with his girlfriend and would be able to wake up at her side.

He was a lucky man.


	33. Close your eyes and hold out your hands

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mike has a surprise for El.

**33\. Close your eyes and hold out your hands.**  

* * *

When Mike went shopping with his sister during the summer before he went to university, he saw a simple piece of jewellery sat on a stand. He instantly saw it around his significant other's neck. 

* * *

Mike was sat on the bonnet of his, his arm wrapped around her shoulder at the lookout point. The was sea salt, sunshine and happiness coming from the young woman next to him.

"I got you something before I go," Mike said, he'd give her the option of going with him to his university and sharing his dorm room. She'd yet to give him an answer, but he wasn't worried - sure he'd be upset if she didn't go with him but he's always going to come home to Hawkins, to her.

" _Close your eyes and hold out your hands,_ " he said and watched as she did what he said. Mike then reached into his back pocket and pulled out the jewellery.

Mike put the jewellery around her neck and she opened her eyes and looked at the necklace.

"Mike," there around her neck was a key, painted with little pink hearts on it with fake pink diamonds making the letter E.

Mike smiled at Elle, happy that she likes it. 

* * *

When Mike came home from Christmas, Karen had invited Mike's friends over (as well as their families).

Around El's neck, after Mike had hugged her, he felt the chain of her necklace before he saw her. The key necklace with pink hearts, fake diamonds her the letter E.

It was still there.


	34. That's okay. I bought two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Livin' On a Prayer_ was released a week ago.

**34\. That's okay. I bought two.**  

* * *

 _Livin_ _' On a Prayer_  by Bon Jovi had been released on vinyl a week ago, but Jane 'El' Hopper didn't have enough money to buy the single of one of her favourite bands that her older brother Jonathan had gotten her into. 

* * *

El sat on the couch in the Wheeler's basement listening to the latest hits of 1986 over the radio, when her boyfriend/best friend bounded through the basement door and stood before his girlfriend.

"Hi!" He said slightly bouncing on his feet gently, he then held out a single for her and she smiled at the cover.

"Livin' on a prayer!" She exclaimed, smiling up at Mike. "You're the best, you didn't have to do this," El smiled.

" _That's okay. I bought two,_ " Mike said, holding up his own copy of Livin' On a Prayer. 

* * *

El was laying on the Wheelers basement sofa, listening to what she would describe as an iconic song of the decade, even though it is only 1986.

"I wish I'd met you years ago, sweetheart," Mike said, running his fingers through El's hair, thinking about the time they could have had if El had never been taken by 'Dr Brenner'.

"So do I, Mike," El said, nuzzling into Mike's collarbone. "So do I," 

* * *

Karen walked down the stairs into the basement. She was given the house and the kids by Ted when they got divorced in 1985.

Seeing her baby boy and his girl, who had fallen asleep. The record player still with the record that Mike had bought, the slight scratching echoed loudly around the quiet basement.


	35. After you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mike takes El out on a date (again).

**35\. After you.**  

* * *

Mike pushed open the door of the restaurant, where his date with Elle is taking place.

" _After you,_ " Mike said, holding the door open for his long-term girlfriend.

"Thank you, Mike," Elle said, sweetly. She stroked Mike's cheek and walked into the restaurant. 

* * *

Mike helped El put her coat back on, after their meal at the restaurant. It wasn't an extremely posh restaurant, but it wasn't McDonald's either.

"Did you enjoy yourself, sweetheart?" Mike asked, kissing her cheek over her shoulder. She smiled so brightly up at him.

"Every time I'm with you, I enjoy myself all that much more," she said, with her speech improving rapidly - thanks to the help of Hopper, Mike and her friends.

Mike's heart just melted even further. He thought there was nothing else that she could have said something to make him become the puddle of goo that he usually was around her, but what she had just said had pushed it further and he would be a puddle for the rest of his life. 

* * *

Mike had gotten his licence months ago, allowing him to take El on more dates without supervision, thankfully!

He'd taken her to the aquarium and watched as she pressed her nose to the tank like a child, out of town restaurants, expanding their palette as well as their new inside jokes.

"Michael, is that you?" Karen asked, walking the stairs, onto the first floor, with a basket full of her two kids washing as well as hers.

"Yeah, mom, it's me," Mike said, kicking off his shoes and hanging up his coat. He smiled up at his mom and moved a piece of her hair back into place.

"Thank you, baby," before Mike met Jane, he would have crinkled his nose when she said that, but since he had met her, he was a changed boy (man). "How's Jane?"

El had been introduced to Karen as 'Jane', with Karen not understanding why Mike calls her El but had chosen not to question it.

"She's fine," Mike smiled, knowing there was no new news to tell his mother about his girlfriend.

Karen smiled and ruffled her son's hair, Mike may have pulled a slight face, but he smiled down at her.

"Night mom," Mike kissed her cheek and walked up the stairs to his bedroom.

Karen smiled as her only baby boy walked up the stairs, still over the moon with his recent date with his beloved girl. "Night baby boy,'


	36. We'll figure it out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> El is told something horrible.

**36\. We'll figure it out.**

* * *

El came home from the doctors with a frown on her face. She threw her purse onto the coffee table and stared into space from the living room couch.

She sat on the living room couch, sniffling slightly. Mike walked into the living room from drawing his next series of comic books and smiled at his wife.

"Hey," he said, and then saw the tears on her cheeks. "El? What's wrong, sweetheart?"

"I went to the doctors, the amount of time I spent in the lab," El said, sniffling into her husband's shoulder. "The amount of experiments they did, it's practically fried. There's a thin chance of us ever having kids," El said, wiping away her tears.

Mike nodded and tightened his hug on his wife. " _We'll figure it out,_ " Mike said, "We'll come up something," 

* * *

What they didn't know as that, 2 years later, right before they were scheduled to go in for their first fertility treatment, El had gone to her routine check-up

She was pregnant. Finally.

As soon as she went home, she couldn't help but blurt out what had happened in the doctor's office, showing him the scan.

6 weeks gone.

Their first child, a little boy, was born on the 4th May, Mike was ecstatic when El went into labour (a week late...) and begged for an hour after their precious baby boy was born. To name him Luke.

El caved. Luke James Wheeler.

He was their pride and joy even when his little sister was born (along with his other brother, his sister's twin).

Mike and El couldn't want anything else in their life, their family was complete.


	37. Can I kiss you?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mike and El's first date.

**37\. Can I kiss you?**

* * *

Mike dropped El at the Byers-Hopper's front door after their first date. El shuffled from foot to foot, looking down at her shuffling feet.

Mike took in a breath and looked at the teenage version of his favourite person on the planet stood before him and asked the question he's been wanting to say since she got back. " _Can I kiss you?_ "

El's memory retreated back to a number of conversations she had with Nancy Wheeler, about boys, kissing and relationships.

El came back to earth and smiled happily nodded her head. Mike smiled and sighed with relief and leant in and gently kissed the girl he went on his first date with - hoping it wouldn't be his last. 

* * *

Nancy had tried to get something out of Mike when he had come home from his first date with El, but it wasn't Karen that got Mike to spill the beans, nor was it Nancy.

It was Holly Wheeler.

She'd toddled into her older brother's room, teddy bear in hand and ready for bed.

"Hey, Holly Jolly," Mike smiled, lifting her up and setting her on his lap, running his fingers through her loose blonde hair - she always took it out of her pigtails before she went to bed.

"Mikey, how was your date with Ellie?" Holly asked, looking up from fiddling with her teddy's ear to her brother.

"Like you wouldn't believe, Holls. Like you wouldn't believe," Mike said, a dazed look falling into his eyes, and a dopey look falling over his face.


	38. I like your laugh

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> El rare laugh makes an appearance.

**38\. I like your laugh.**

* * *

The week after El came home (the smile missing from Mike's face came back when he saw her storm through the Byers front door like a badass), Mike wanted her to stay over for a sleepover.

His father was on another trip with work, so Karen had ordered pizzas for dinner (something El hasn't tried... yet).

Mike walked into his living room with the pizza he was to share with El, she was staring at his father's Lay-Z-Boy. One of the first reasons why she trusted Mike.

"Come on," Mike said, helping her into the Lay-Z-Boy with him and popped it so the leg rest would come up.

El let out her slightly loud laugh which makes Mike's heart flutter.

" _I like your laugh,_ " Mike admits, making El blush and take a large bite of her 2nd slice of pizza.

Nancy and Karen walked from the couch as Mike complimented El continuously and El blushing to a bright pink. Both happily eating away at the pizza. 

* * *

Karen had told Mike to put Holly to bed, while she did the dishes. This was something Holly had been looking forward to all night, Mike and El putting her to bed.

She was going to cause so much mayhem... 

* * *

After it having taken 45 minutes to put Holly to bed, Mike sighed so heavily as he landed face first on his bed, El had perched on the edge of Mike's bed.

"You ok, Mike?" El asks, seeing her boyfriend collapsed on his bed. She earned a thumbs up instead of him speaking - the proof on how tired he is, as the boys can't usually shut him up.


	39. Don't cry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mike doesn't like it when El cries.

**39\. Don't cry.**

* * *

What no-one would have guessed, not even Mike Wheeler was that El Byers is extremely clumsy.  

* * *

El and Mike were seeing El's mama, Terry Ives. El's aunt Becky handed her a glass of orange juice.

However, the glass slipped from her hand and smashed on the carpet. El gasped at the broken glass on the carpet and started to tear up.

"Jane," Becky said, wrapping her arms around her niece as she cried into her shoulder.

"Hey," Mike said, patted his girlfriend's knee, " _Don't cry_ ," Mike picked up the pieces of glass from the carpet. 

* * *

When it was time for El and Mike to go home, Hopper had come to pick them up like he had dropped them off early on in the day. El didn't really want to leave her mama. Never, ever, ever, ever.

"It was so nice seeing you again, Jane," Becky said, holding her precious niece's face in her hands; her soft child-like eyes dancing across Becky's face, her soft chubby cheeks moving underneath her hands every time El moved her mouth.

"You too, Aunt Becky," El smiled up at her aunt, as Becky rubs El's nose with her thumb, making El giggle and wrinkle her nose. El had already said goodbye to her mama when Hopper came to pick her and Mike up.

"Bye, Miss Ives," Mike says, smiling at Becky and politely shaking her hand. That's the way that Karen had raised her only son (pretty much without the help of her ex-husband Ted).

Becky smiled at Mike, in awe of her niece's polite boyfriend, somehow he looked after El, even though he followed her around like a lost puppy - but with Mike, it looked cute at their age.


	40. I made this for you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> El makes something for Mike.

**40\. I made this for you.**  

* * *

El walked up to Mike, holding something in her hands. She smiled at Mike.

" _I made this for you,_ " El said, handing what she had made for Mike to him.

She handed him a box, and when Mike opened the lid, there was a load of letters with  _Open When..._ and different situations on them.

"El," Mike smiled, wrapping his arm around her. "Thank you, babe," 

* * *

"Go have fun with grandma," El said, hugging Mike tightly.

"I don't wanna go," Mike pouted, but even though Mike didn't want to go, El made him because she knew that Mike rarely saw his mama's mama, she knew he missed his grandma so much. 

* * *

When Mike had gone away to see his grandparents in his mom's home state, and Mike missed El so, so much. He didn't want to increase his grandma's phone bill. He brought the letter that El had given to him.

_'Open when you miss me_


	41. Go back to sleep

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mike and El are woken up by the Earth.

**41\. Go back to sleep.**

* * *

The earth rumbled and El sat up in bed, sleepily looking around the bedroom. The wardrobe rattled, her old and well used Walkman fell off her dresser. She watched everything move in the bedroom, feeling the bed move underneath her.

Mike felt the duvet, as well as the mattress and bed frame, move around him and he opened his eyes. He saw the furniture around him rattle.

"El," Mike said, instantly wrapped his arms around his wife and brought her tight into his arms. "It's ok, this does happen, it's just the tectonic plates in the earth."

El nodded and buried her head into Mike's chest.

" _Go_ _back to sleep,_ " Mike said and they both easily (and rather) quickly fell asleep. 

* * *

The next morning, the married couple woke up to see what kind of destruction that the earthquake had caused.

Usually, it wasn't much, a couple of shattered glasses that could either be repaired or replaced.

Not this time.

A lot of El's precious books had fallen off her bookshelf, some of the delicate perfume bottles were broken, their mirror was laying face down on the floor - neither of the pair wanting to pick up the possibly broken mirror.

"Mike, what happened?" El asks, picking up her books, one by one, checking over for any damage done to them.

"I don't know, honey. I don't know," Mike said, kissing the top of her head and finished collecting her broken bottles - making a note in his head to replace them for her and clean the dressing table.


	42. Is this Okay?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Party play Dungeons & Dragons, minus Max and El.

**42\. Is this Okay?**

* * *

Newly turned 17-year-old Jane 'El' Hopper sat on the lap of her 17-year-old loving boyfriend, Mike Wheeler, who she's been dating for nearly 3 years.

"Hello, you," Mike said, looking away from the Dungeon masters book before him and ignore the complaints of their friends.

" _Is this okay?_ " El asked, looking at Mike cautiously.

"Of course," Mike said, lovingly stroke his girlfriend's cheek.

"DUDE!" Came the chorused voices of Dustin, Lucas, Max and El's somewhat brother - Will.

Mike rolled his eyes, pulled the notebook he uses for  _Dungeons & Dragons _to him and set it in El's lap.

"The Banderlog screeches as Queen Max's sword SLAMS into its rotting heart, the creatures keels over and..." Mike take a dramatic breath and his head dropped into the crook of El's neck - signalling the Banderlog's death.

Dustin, Lucas, Will and Max cheered and danced around the basement as Mike nuzzled his head into the crook of El's neck.


	43. I picked these for you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mike picks some flowers for El.

**43\. I picked these for you.**

* * *

Mike walked into El's bedroom with a bunch of red tulips he'd picked from Karen's garden - sure he'll most likely get grounded for taking the flowers, but it would be worth it.

"Hey," Mike said, holding out the bouquet to El smiling at his girlfriend.

"Mike," El said, gasping at the sight of the beautiful flowers before her.

" _I picked these for you,_ " Mike said, watching his girlfriend smell the flowers and walk to the vase she always had on her dresser. 

* * *

El loved flowers, but the one thing that she hated about the flowers, is that after a while, they died.

El pouted as she handed the dead flowers to her father who went to go put them in the bin. 

* * *

"I know you wanted them to live forever," Mike said when he was sat watching El's favourite soap opera with her, with his arm wrapped around her shoulder. "So, I got you these,"

Mike walked over to his backpack, where his Scrabble game was sat (a way of testing El's spelling) and pulled out a bunch of plastic red tulips.

"This way, they'll never die, because their not real," Mike explained, as El noticed that there was something different about this bunch compared to the last one.

El nodded, before taking them out of his hand. "Thank you, Mike," she kisses his cheek - making it redden more.

"You're welcome El," Mike said, taking her face in his hands and peppering her entire face with kisses, making her squeal and giggle at her boyfriend.


	44. I'll drive you to the hospital

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mike gets a phone call.

**44\. I'll drive you to the hospital.**

* * *

Mike hung up the phone and stood in the kitchen, staring at the wall. Letting the information his mom gave to him, roll over him.

"So it's either Chinese or pizza, there's no chance I'm cooking-" A pregnant El waddled into the kitchen and saw her husband. "-tonight? Mike?" She waddled carefully to him and placed a loving hand on his upper arm.

"My father's in the hospital, they don't know if he's going to make it through the night," Mike said, even though he didn't have a good relationship with his father, Ted Wheeler was still one of the pair that created him.

"Mike," El quietly said, bringing her husband into her arms as close as she could with her expanding stomach. " _I'll drive you to the hospital,_ " El said, feeling Mike's tears hit her shoulder.

"Wait, what about the kids?" Mike asked, looking over El's shoulder into the living room where their children where watching old videotapes of 80s kids shows:  _Danger Mouse, Inspector Gadget_ and  _Rainbow._

"Roman can look after them," El said, then saw the slightly worried look on his face. "She looked after me when I was a baby," El said, she remembers (even from being a baby) a happy and smiling woman singing a lullaby cradling baby El to herself, it's one of the only sweet memory she has from the lab...

Mike only frowns and it breaks his heart - still hearing about what the Bad Men did to El in her first 12 years of life. 

* * *

El pulls into the car park, and as Mike gets out, she unbuckles herself and Mike walks around the car to help his wife out of the car.

When they get inside the hospital, El's hand tightly in his because even to this day, hospitals still scare her. "Ted Wheeler?" Mike asked, resting his hand on his wife's back, knowing her back is going to be aching.

With the directions to Ted's hospital room, they went to go see Mike's father.


	45. What do you want to watch?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mike and El go on a mini-vacation.

**45\. What do you want to watch?**

* * *

Mike and El were on a mini vacation away from their friends and family, their 2 children staying with Joyce and Hopper.

" _What do you want to watch?_ " El asks, looking up at her husband flicking through the British tv channels.

"What's Broadchurch?" Mike asks as the programme lands on the TV. 

"Might as well give it a try," El shrugged, putting down the remote. 

* * *

 - an hour later -

"What is this, and why don't we have it back home?!" El said, removing her eyes from the tv - absorbed by the tv programme and the adverts - and looked at her husband.

"I don't know, but we should!" Mike exclaimed, looking down at his wife.

When Mike looked down at his wife, her wide eyes staring back at him. "God, I love you," he stated.

"I know," El smiled, almost making Mike faint from her Star Wars quote. "I love you too, Mike,"


	46. You can go first

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'I need to talk to you...'

**46\. You can go first.**

* * *

"I need to talk to you," Both Mike and El said when Mike picked up the phone when El rung him from her university.

" _You can go first,_ " Mike said, being the ever gentleman he was brought up to be.

"I can't do this anymore-" El said before she was cut off by Mike

"El, no! You are the first and last thing on my mind each day. You're my favourite person on the planet, you're my girl! Don't break up with me!" Mike said, sitting up in his bed.

"WHAT?! Why do you think I'm breaking up with you?!" El said, her voice laced with confusion. "I was going to say, the university's too much - I don't know if I keep going..."

"Honey," Mike started, sighing slightly. "El, you listen to me, I get why you want to throw the towel in, but honey, you're so much smarter than that. El, you are the smartest girl I know, and if you want to give up, then I'll fill support you, 100%," Mike continued.

There were no words from El's end until she spoke up in her confused tone. "Throw the towel in?" She asked, making Mike laugh, remembering all the times he explained the words he said to her over the years.

"It means to like give up, to not do something anymore," Mike explained, smiling down the phone at El's noise of recognition, missing his girl more than anything.


	47. Did you get my letter?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> University is a common theme in this story.

**47\. Did you get my letter?**

* * *

Mike picked up the phone and dialled his lovely girlfriend.

"Hello?" El asked, holding the phone between her ear and shoulder, writing her notes from her textbook.

"Hi, baby," Mike said, also holding the phone between his ear and his shoulder as he sifts through his mail.

"Hello, you," El smiled into the phone. She held the phone to her ear and smiled, she setting her pencil down and focusing all her attention on her boyfriend, who she missed while her whole heart. " _Did you get my letter?_ "

"I'm just sifting through my mail-" Mike said, flicking through letters. "-Found it!" Mike said, holding El's letter to him before him, he never realised how much he missed her handwriting until he saw it on his letter, his name written in her hand. Maybe one day, his last name becoming hers.

"I know we always talk on the phone, but always makes me happy to read a letter from you," Mike comments, making El blush at her end, rolling her eyes but pushing a soft curl that Mike adores behind her ear.

 


	48. I'll do it for you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mike and El are doing something against Mike's father's wishes.

**48\. I'll do it for you.**

* * *

Mike and El were in a slight hurry, as they were doing something against Mike's father's wishes. They were eloping.

They had invited Mike's mom, his sisters, Mike and El's best friends, El's 'sister', her adoptive parents, her birth mom and aunt, Roman (who looked after her at a young age).

Mike didn't care that his father didn't approve of his fiancée, but they were going to Las Vegas to get married.

Mike had already tied his shoes and looked as El wasn't even done tying hers.

" _I'll do it for you,_ " Mike said, crouching down on his knees and tied her shoes, quickly.

"Thank you, Mike," El said, smiling at her fiancé as he stood up and smiled down at her.

"You're welcome, baby," Mike said, taking the back of her hand and kissing it. 

* * *

After Mike and El had eloped and had come home. Karen had allowed El to stay the night, much to Ted's disagreement.

Even though Ted was disappointed in Mike, having gotten married to someone so young (who he thinks doesn't have a future...), Mike was happy. Mike was over the moon.

When El was getting changed into her pyjamas, Mike danced around his bedroom, the sparkle from his wedding ring shining in the lamp or the light outside.

"Michael?" El asks, standing in her Pac-Man pyjamas, smiling at her husband. Mike walked over to his wife and twirled her around in his arms.

Mike repeated kissed her cheek, "Hello, gorgeous,"


	49. Call me when you get home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mike and El have their annual movie marathon.

**49\. Call me when you get home.**

* * *

El was having an annual movie marathon with her boyfriend. Their favourite movies from the previous year -1986.

 _Top Gun, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Stand by Me, Crocodile Dundee, Labyrinth, Pretty in Pink, The Karate Kid Part II, Short Circuit_ and  _The Money Pit._

"I love doing this," El said, standing inside the house, holding the front door as she smiled happily at him. Afer Hopper had announced El to the sleepy town of Hawkins, Indiana, as Jane Hopper - his long-lost daughter, and he knows as much as El does, that she would have loved Sarah (and vice versa)

"As do I," Mike said, reaching and twisting his hand in her curly hair. Mike never realised that El's hair would be curly until the hair gel that had held her hair down had been washed out, and her hair dryer. The curls stuck out like a sore thumb. And Mike loved them.

" _Call me when you get home,_ " El said, smiling at Mike.

"Of course I will, babe," Mike said, kissing her cheek and climbing into his car and drove home.

Every time Mike calls El, 'babe', it sends butterflies and hummingbirds through her stomach and her heart, and she wouldn't change anything for the world, even the year that they were apart - it just made their reunion all that sweeter.


	50. I think you're beautiful

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An alternative of the Snowball (written before Season 2 was released).

**50\. I think you're beautiful.**

* * *

With Nancy's help and not as much as Hopper, because Sarah wasn't old enough to start playing with makeup, El was putting the finishing touches as she finally finished getting ready for her first Snowball. 

* * *

Mike was pacing back and forth in his living room with his best friends - Lucas, Will, Dustin and Max - watching him pace nervously.

"Dude, stop it!" Max said, throwing a pillow at his face, hitting her target. 

* * *

Nancy and El walked down the stairs, as the pillow Max threw at Mike it the floor.

"Maxine, you know our mom likes the pillows in a certain way," Nancy said, making her face turn deep red like a plum tomato. 

* * *

Mike looked up from looking at the floor and saw the girl he was taking to the Snowball. His kinda, sorta, maybe girlfriend Jane 'El' Hopper, they'd been dancing along the line between friendship and a relationship for weeks (but it felt like years...)

"Pretty?" She asked, and Mike held out his hand. El took and Mike spun her around.

" _I think you're beautiful,_ " Mike said, running his fingers through her soft curls (El always like it when Mike ran his fingers through her hair), and looked at the simple eye makeup that Nancy had done for El - compared to the black one from a month ago... "I think you're gorgeous," he added, making a pink blush rise up her cheeks, making Mike feel proud that he could make her feel this way. 


	51. Are you sure?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It took a long time for El to meet Mike's parents.

**51\. Are you sure?**

* * *

It took a long time for El to meet Mike's parents. Karen kept in the dark about the girl who made her son so happy, Ted being oblivious as usual.

Mike was nearly 16-years-old when his girlfriend met his parents. He'd ridden his bike to go get his girlfriend, she wanted to have dinner with them for once.

Mike and El stood in the garage as Mike stood his bike against the wall. Mike looked at his girlfriend, who was shifting from foot to foot nervously.

" _Are you sure?_ " Mike asked, running his fingers through her long, curly hair.

"Yeah," El nodded. Mike reached over and intertwined his fingers with hers. The couple took a deep breath and walked through the front door of the Wheeler home.

"Mom! Jane's here!" Mike said, shutting the front door yet keeping a tight grip on her hand. He hates calling his girlfriend by her birth name, but he knew he had to keep it up around people that didn't know the truth.

Karen's shot around the door jam and saw her son gripping onto the hand of his girlfriend - Jane Hopper, Hopper's daughter. She smiled and walked to them.

"Hello," Karen said, smiling. El (going back to her shy nature) gave a little smile and a little wave. Mike smiled at the girl at his side. 

* * *

Karen was in awe of these two teenagers, who can have a silent conversation without even looking at each other.

"Michael, Hopper's here," she said to her son, making him sigh heavily, that El now has to go home.

Ted said nothing, but a snore from the Lay-Z-Boy that made El jump at the loud noise, as Mike said soft soothing words to her - taking her away from his dozing and clueless father. 


	52. Have fun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mike goes to the middle school reunion.

**52\. Have fun.**

* * *

Mike was tieing his tie before he went to his middle school. His pregnant wife was sat on the bed, smiling at him.

"How do I look?" Mike joked, turning around and striking a model pose, before helping his wife off the bed.

"Fabulous," El throws her arm in the air, before giggling and putting her arm around his shoulder.

"Are you sure you don't want to come with me?" Mike asked, running his fingers through her hair and stroking where his unborn baby rests.

"With my swollen ankles, I'll be complaining all night," El says, as their youngest child toddles into their room and smiles at her parents.

"DADDY!" The youngest reaches up for her father, who promptly picked her up, and set her on his hip.

Mike tickled his daughter for a while, before handing her to her mom. Mike placed a kiss on his daughter's forehead and El's lips.

" _Have fun_ ," El teased, making her smirk as Mike's face made a... face. 

* * *

When Mike came home, El was fast asleep with their baby girl curled up next to her, her head resting on the growing baby bump that holds her baby brother/sister.

Mike smiled, and carrying his daughter to bed and tucked her in. "Night, baby," Mike kissed her forehead, her nose crinkled the same way El's does. "You're so much like your mother," he comments.


	53. Sit down, I'll get it

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> El loves reading Mike's comic books.

**53\. Sit down, I'll get it.**

* * *

Mike was playing Dungeons and Dragons with Lucas, Will, Dustin and Max. El was sat on the couch, finishing reading one of Mike's old comic books.

"El, I think the rest are upstairs in my room," Mike says, looking over his shoulder at his kinda, sorta, maybe girlfriend Jane Hopper, after Mike had explained the piece of paper that Hopper had once handed to her - making her Hopper's girl.

Mike goes to get up when El shook her head, signalling Mike to sit back down.

" _Sit down, I'll get it,_ " El said, standing up from the couch and walking up the basement stairs. Mike watched her go before being hit in the shoulder.

"DUDE!" Will, Dustin, Max and Lucas shouted making Mike roll his eyes at them and going back to his campaign. 

* * *

Mike wrapped his arm over the back of the chair, as he explained what had happened to the Hulk and why he can turn into the Hulk when he's angry.

"No, Michael, you're getting it wrong," Dustin interrupted Mike's explanation and sat in front of El as he started to explain.

Will rolls his eyes at his best friends and helps Lucas pack away their D&D game. Max shakes her head and looks over at El.

"You wanna ride my skateboard?" Max asks, making El nod as she started to feel crowded. Max took El's hand and they left the boys. "Later, nerds,"


	54. I made reservations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mike makes reservations at the most expensive restaurant in Hawkins. Well, it's Karen that books the reservation...

**54\. I made reservations.**

* * *

Mike and El walked into the most expensive restaurant in their hometown, Hawkins. Mike thanked his mom excessively for helping him get this.

"Reservation name?" The person behind the stand asked.

"Wheeler," Mike said, the person behind the stand looked confused.

"This says Karen Wheeler made the reservation," Mike looked confused, he knew he'd got his mom to help him.

"So, I'm her son," Mike said, and El's grip on his hand tightened.

"I'm sorry, I can't give you the table," the person said. Mike's face crumbled, tonight he was gonna propose to El.

"Ok," Mike said, El's grip on her boyfriend's hand tightened, as they walked out of the restaurant. 

* * *

"Mike," El said, with her fingers intertwined with his. She looked over the console at him, Mike's face was upset.

"Yeah," He said, a tear leaking out of his. He wanted tonight to be perfect. And he's messed it up.

"It's ok," El said, tightening her grip on his fingers.

" _I made reservations,_ " Mike said, looking down into his lap.

"I know you did," El said, smiling at him. "But, we could go to Benny's, our usual restaurant?" El then suggested.

Mike smiled, he really did want to go to the posh restaurant that his mom suggested that he propose to El in. But the idea of proposing to El in their usual restaurant just made him smile more.


	55. I don't mind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mike and El were sat in Mike's backyard on their Saturday night date.

**55\. I don't mind.**

* * *

Mike and El were sat in Mike's backyard on their Saturday night date, staring at the stars.

Well, El was staring at the stars, Mike was happily staring at his girlfriend.

"The stars are pretty," El said, smiling. Being trapped in the lab for the first 12 years of her life, she was easily absorbed into nature. Flowers, stars, the seasons. Anything will just drag her in.

Mike said the cheesiest thing on the planet. "You're prettier," A pink blush (that wasn't artificial) fluttered over her cheeks.

Mike and El then shivered in the bitter November breeze. Mike then started to get up and then was frozen in place by his girlfriend's powers. She got up and walked back into Mike's house.

He looked confused over his shoulder and waited for her to come back. That's one of the things El loves about Mike, he waited for her to come home (even though it slightly devastated her that he thought she was dead...)

She came back into the backyard, dragging his duvet and multiple blankets behind her. His heart fluttered, seeing her flustered state as she pulled the heavy material behind her.

"El, you didn't have to do this," Mike said, as she put down 2 blankets and put his duvet and a blanket over the top. She then pulled Mike next to her and snuggled into him.

" _I don't mind,_ "


	56. It brings out your eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> El slight;y changes her hair colour. (Written before S2)

**56\. It brings out your eyes.**

* * *

When El was going on 17, she wanted to change her hair. She wanted to dye half of her curls pastel pink.

Everyone's reaction to this was different. 

* * *

Joyce was slightly scared for El with what she wanted to do to her hair. But, she couldn't tell her adoptive daughter what to do with her life.

After El left the salon with half pastel pink locks, Joyce smiled at her.

"You look beautiful, honey," 

* * *

Terry Ives, El's birth mother, was shocked that El wanted to do this, yet she supported her fully. And she smiled widely for the first time since she last saw her baby now with pastel pink hair.

"My pastel pink baby," 

* * *

Will was proud of El, he was so used to seeing El with wanting to change her hair.

It was different seeing his adoptive sister walk through the front door with her new hair colour.

"It suits you," 

* * *

Lucas was surprised when El told him, he didn't say anything about it,

When he first saw El with her new hair, he smiled. And used the first word he ever taught her.

"It's cool," 

* * *

Dustin was shocked that his hair twin wanted to change her hair. He jokingly said, 'Why are you doing this to me?!'

But he saw El with her new hair and smiled brightly.

"IT'S SO COOL!" 

* * *

When Mike found out that his girlfriend was getting pastel pink ends, it felt weird in his stomach.

But then he saw his beloved's new hair colour, he smiled and ran his fingers through her coloured curls.

_"It brings out your eyes,"_


	57. There is enough room for both of us

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mike and El watch Danger Mouse, sat on Ted's Lay-Z-Boy.

**57\. There is enough room for both of us.**

* * *

El sat on the Lay-Z-Boy, watching  _Danger Mouse_. Mike was in the kitchen getting breakfast of  _Eggos_.

Mike walked into the living room, with two plates of 4 waffles (on each plate), and smiled at his girlfriend.

Mike handed El her plate and sat on the floor next to the Lay-Z-Boy (Mike's always seen that there's never been enough room for another person).

El looked down at her boyfriend and smiled with an Eggo hanging out of her mouth.

 _"There is enough room for both of us,"_ El said, shuffling over, to allow her boyfriend to sit in the Lay-Z-Boy with her.

Mike smiles and sits in the gap of the Lay-Z-Boy with her, and lets the leg rest escape from its hold. Mike heard the recognisable giggle that was one of the main reasons why he fell for her in the first place.

"Thank you, baby," 

* * *

Mike went to take their plates into the kitchen, where his mom was making hers and Holly's breakfast.

From the kitchen, you could hear Ep humming along with the theme song, as her laughing made Mike smile, it was rare that he'd hear her laugh.

And he wanted to hear her laughter for the rest of his life. 


	58. You don't have to say anything

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ted is buried.

**58\. You don't have to say anything.**

* * *

Mike looked down at his feet as his recently deceased father. His wife's hand held his left tightly - his wedding ring digging into her hand but at this moment in time, his broken heart means more than an imprint of her husband's ring - and his daughter's left in his right. His son stood in front of Mike, his son tightly wrapped around his father.

El rested her head on Mike's shoulder and pressed a loving kiss to his collarbone. Mike smiled down at his wife and the to his father's grave, his father's final resting place.

"Mike," El whispered, feeling a tear roll off her husband's cheek and onto the top of her head.

 _"You don't have to say anything,"_ Mike said, feeling El kiss Mike's cheek.


	59. Wow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Senior Year, Prom.

**59.** **Wow.**

* * *

El finished getting ready for the Senior Year Prom. El finished sorting out her hair and smiled at her reflection in the mirror.

Mike knocked on the Wheeler bathroom door - Karen asked if El wanted to change at theirs so that when Mike and El go to prom, Mike won't have to go all the way to the Byers (on the other side of town) to get his girlfriend.

"You ready, baby?" Mike asked, waiting for his girlfriend to make her appearance.

"Yeah," El said, opening the bathroom door and standing in front of her boyfriend.

 _"Wow,"_ Mike said, looking at his beautiful girlfriend standing before him in a floor-length black dress.

"Pretty?" El asks, looking up at her boyfriend, eyes fluttering.

"Beautiful," Mike said, holding her chin and staring into her eyes. "So beautiful,"


	60. Happy birthday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mike and El help celebrate each other's birthdays.

**60\. Happy birthday.**

* * *

_Mike's birthday_

Mike woke up with his girlfriend snuggled into his side. Today is his 17th birthday.

Mike could feel El wake up beside him and smiled.

"Morning El," Mike whispered, nuzzling his head into her soft, curly hair.

"Morning, baby," El cooed pressing a kiss to her boyfriend's neck.  _"Happy birthday,"_

"Thank you, baby girl," Mike smiled and kissed his girlfriend on the lips. 

* * *

_El's birthday_

She was woken up at midnight by the phone ringing loudly on her bedside table.

"Hello?" El groggily said down the phone.

 _"Happy birthday,"_  Came the whisper of Mike Wheeler, El's long-term boyfriend.

"Mike, thank you," El smiles, looking sleepily down into her lap. "What did I do to deserve you?"

"No, baby, it's what did I do to deserve you?" Mike replied before he started humming down the line, to send his beloved girlfriend back to sleep.


	61. I'll pick it up after work

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mike picks up some things for his pregnant wife.

**61\. I'll pick it up after work.**

* * *

El was laying on the sofa watching the TV, her hand resting lovingly on her 6-month pregnant stomach. Mike looked from where he sat massaging her feet, smiling.

"Mike, can you get me some of the leftovers from McDonald's?" El asks, ruffling her hair out of the way of her face, as she smiled lovingly at her husband.

"Didn't you have that as your midnight snack?" Mike enquiries, kindly. He now knows how quickly her hormones had kicked in...

"And?" El asks, looking over the top of her bump and looking - judgingly - at her other half.

 _"I'll pick it up after work,"_ Mike said, he was yet to take his paternity leave - he was lucky that he was his own boss and he had his own comic book series.

"Thank you," El reached over and held her husband's hand.

"You're welcome, baby," he replies, holding one hand in his and the other resting on where his child is kept safely. 

* * *

Mike came home, a warm McDonald's in his hands, and extra junk food that El has been craving for a while.

He saw her, fast asleep on the sofa. The baby was draining El's energy to even walk.

He couldn't wait to meet his baby.


	62. It can wait until tomorrow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mike almost tells El something but changes his mind.

**62\. It can wait until tomorrow.**

* * *

El and Mike sat on the Wheeler's living room sofa, happily talking about anything and everything - the theme song of  _Danger Mouse_ playing in the background.

"Dinner!" Karen called for her two eldest children and her son's girlfriend. There was a thump from upstairs and 3 pairs of feet clambered down the stairs. The feet belonging to Steve Harrington, Nancy Wheeler and Jonathan Byers - the monster hunting trio and the weird triangle that is currently on everyone's shoulders.

Mike and El got up from the sofa and slowly made their way over to the kitchen table. Before the loved-up pair could go into the kitchen - El grabbed Mike's arm and tugged him to her side.

"What was it you wanted to tell me, Mike?" El asked, Mike had said he needed to tell her something - but was interrupted by Karen.

 _"It can wait until tomorrow,"_  Mike explains, running his fingers through El's hair and smiling at her.


	63. Cross my heart and hope to die

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> El scares Mike with a common saying that she's heard before.

**63\. Cross my heart and hope to die.**

* * *

El lay heavily breathing, her back pressed a tree. Her kind of, maybe, possibly boyfriend, Mike Wheeler, on her right - his head on her shoulder, his heart thundering in his chest. Her somewhat adoptive brother, Will Byers, panting on her left.

El could feel blood escaping her nose and her ears, feeling herself slowly becoming weak. Her eyes falling heavy.

Mike looked at the girl at his side, and saw her slowly falling asleep - but thought that she was slowly dying, seeing how much blood she was losing.

"El?" Mike mutters, not wanting to alert the Tesslahydra - 'the giant tree monster' as Dustin called it. "El?"

"Hmm?" She slowly opens her eyes and smiles weakly at her favourite boy on the planet.

"Don't die on me, please," Mike said, wiping away the blood leaving her. "Promise?" Mike asked.

"Promise," El replies, sweetly.  _"Cross my heart and hope to die,"_ El said the quote she quickly learnt off Dustin.

"El, don't say," A tear streaked Mike's cheek.


	64. It's two sugars, right?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> El was reading Karen's sugar cookie recipe.

**64\. It's two sugars, right?**

* * *

El was reading Karen's sugar cookie recipe that had been passed down through the Wheeler family for generations, so there was a lot of pressure on her to get this right. A ring sparkling from her left ring finger.

Mike stood at her side, looking over her shoulder - seeing his mom's handwriting that he saw in his lunchbox for years.

 _"It's two sugars, right?"_ Mike asking how many cups of sugar went into the mixture.

"It's ¾ cup of sugar, baby," El corrected. "Two cups of sugar would be way too much!"

Mike pouted. "If you want a sugar high - then that's your fault," El said, patting her fiancé's cheek, she still got a bubbly feeling in her stomach, calling Mike her fiancé after the past couple of months. Mike still continued to pout but had the lightness of a smile that only appeared around her.


	65. I'll help you study

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> El helps Mike study for his exams.

**65\. I'll help you study.**

* * *

Mike was reading over his biology notes. There was a knock on his bedroom door, but he was so absorbed in his notes - Mike didn't hear the knock, nor the squeak of the door opening, nor see his beautiful girlfriend standing at his side.

"Hi, Mike," El whispers, pressing a kiss to his cheek, only getting a polite wave in reply. El pouted, she was usually getting smothered in kisses from Mike right about now - it's like he doesn't like her anymore...

"Mike?" El prodded the boy, her insecurities getting the better of her. Mike then looked up from his notes and his face visibly brightened when he saw her.

"Hi, baby," Mike smiles, his notes still held tight in his hand as he peppers her face with kisses.

While Mike was peppering her face with kisses, El was able to grab his notes. "Why are you studying? You know you're going to pass!"

"You've gone and jinxed it now!" Mike exclaimed, sitting dejectedly on his bed.

"Give," El said, holding her hand out for the bag of Haribo Starmix sat on his bedside table.

Mike handed the bag to her and watched as she sat on the bed next to him.

 _"I'll help you study,"_ El said, making Mike look up at her. "Every question you get right, you get a piece of candy. Ok?"

Mike nodded, and then El started to help Mike study.


	66. Stay over

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mike was laying in his bed. Sick.

**66\. Stay over.**

* * *

Mike was laying in his bed. Sick. This is exactly how he wanted to spend his 1 year anniversary with his girlfriend.

The sick boy rolled onto his side, comforter kicked off his bed. Then there was a small knock at the door, the kind that his mom makes - but the knock was more gentle and loving like his girlfriend.

"El?" Mike croakily asked, when the face of the beautiful other-half of his heart. Jane 'El' Eleanor Hopper.

"Hi baby," El whispered, not wanting to cause him any more pain than he currently in.

"El," Mike sighs, holding his hand out for her, encouraging her to come to his side, happy to finally see her.

El sat on Mike's bed and pushed away the sweat ridden black curls. "Happy anniversary," she said, smiling at her boyfriend.

"Happy anniversary," Mike said, before coughing loudly. His girl visibly winced and rubbed his chest. 

* * *

Later on that night, Karen knocked on Mike's bedroom door - the young couple hasn't left his room since Jane arrived mid-morning.

"Jane, you need to go home now, sweetheart," Karen said, quietly - as Holly was asleep.

Mike awoke from his little nap, and tightened his grip on his girlfriend, as she made a move to go home.

"Mike, I have to go," El said, running her fingers through her boyfriend's hair.

 _"Stay over,"_  Mike begged, pulling out his puppy dog eyes - the ones that made El melt and fall for in the first place.

Karen watched from the door as El agreed to stay the night, and as they both peacefully slept. Karen went to turn on Mike's nightlight - which he started using after El disappeared.


	67. I did the dishes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> El is exhausted after a long day at work.

**67\. I did the dishes.**

* * *

El walked in, exhausted from her day at work. She knew that she was going to have to cook dinner and do the dishes and the ironing.

Her keys rattled on the counter and her bag hit the counter with a dull thud.

"Hi, baby," Mike said, pressing a loving kiss to her pounding forehead.

"Hi, Mike," El mutters, resting her tired head on her husband's shoulder.

"I've done the dinner," Mike says, making El look up at him with wide eyes.

"Really?" Mike nods. "Thank you," El presses a kiss to his cheek. "What did I do to deserve you?" 

* * *

El was taking a small nap on the sofa when she sat up suddenly.

She has to do the dishes.

El went to get up when a strong hand stopped her in her tracks when the dark haired, light skinned man she called her husband spoke to her.

 _"I did the dishes,"_ Mike said, making El's eyes soften even more. Mike had rooted his firm place in her heart since the first day they met.

"Thank you, Mike," El smiled, gently caressing his cheek lovingly.


	68. You didn't have to ask

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> December 1987  
> Snowball.

**68\. You didn't have to ask.**

* * *

December 1987   
Snowball

Jane Hopper, Will Byers, Dustin Henderson, Max Mayfield, Lucas Sinclair and Mike Wheeler all sat around a table (in that order) at the 1987 Snowball.

Mike and El were still keeping their tradition of going to the Snowball, they don't care.

Frank Sinatra's song  _The Best of Everything_  came on and some middle school couples walked onto the dancefloor. Mike got some looks from his friends, nudging him towards El who was looking at the dancefloor.

"El?" Mike asks, making the girl in question look up at him. "Do you want to dance?" He holds his hand out, a slight smile plastered on his face.

 _"You didn't have to ask,"_ El said, accepting his hand. Her vocabulary having improved rapidly because of a number of books she's gotten through, hanging out with the boys and Max, Joyce and Mr Clarke (who knows her as Jane, the Police Chief's daughter) helping her with her speech.

The two made their way onto the dancefloor, the boys and Max smiling at the couple.  


	69. I bought you a ticket

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mike gets El tickets to a festival.

**69\. I bought you a ticket.**

* * *

Mike was shuffling through the mail and saw a letter, with his name on it - with Glastonbury 2017 on it.

El's somewhat early birthday present.

Mike smiled at the letter and went to go hide it - this was a lot harder than when they were teens. They are now married, with two children (Jennifer "Jenny" Maxine and Cameron "Cam" Dustin Lucas William). Jenny's middle name was her godmother's and Cameron's 3 middle names where his father's best friends/his uncles.  

* * *

Max was sat at the kitchen with El, as they discussed Max's daughter's birthday party. Max had married both Lucas and Dustin - as she adored both of the boys (it was the same situation with Steve, Nancy and Jonathan - Nancy married both because she loved both of them equally).

"You want to know what would be a great birthday party?" El asks, looking at her best friend.

"What?" Max asks, rubbing her 6-month pregnant stomach - with her second baby.

"Glastonbury," El said, smiling.

"Glad you brought that up, baby girl," Mike said, making the two women look at him confused.

 _"I bought you a ticket,"_ Mike said, holding out the envelope to his wife.

"Babe," El's eyes tear up and she jumps into her hubby's arms.

"I got you one too, Maxine," Mike said, looking over El's shoulder at her best friend.

"You call me Maxine, I swear to God!"


	70. You're warm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For some reason, El was really warm that morning.

**70\. You're warm.**

* * *

Mike woke up with a warm, breathing human laying next to him in his bed. He remembers falling asleep with El at his side, yesterday was the day she came home.

El's home. And she's fast asleep. Next to him...

Only to hear El's soothing and calm breathing go to the breathing of someone who is awake, as the young girl wakes up from her mystical dream.

 _"You're warm,"_  Mike said, nuzzling his head into her curly hair.

El smiles up at him and curls up closer into him and sighs happily.

"I missed you too, El," Mike had always been able to understand what El had been silently saying, it was one of he things that first figured out.

And El was thankful that Mike understood her like she understood him.


	71. No reason

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> El has another long day at work.

**71\. No reason.**

* * *

El came home from a very, very long day at work. She dropped her bag by the door (just like her kids do) and kicked her work shoes off.

"Hi, baby," Mike said, looking at his wife who had collapsed onto the sofa, watched their youngest child climb onto her and snuggle into her side.

"Hi, Mike," El said, closing her eyes peacefully. And young Millie fell asleep in her mother's arms. 

* * *

After the family had dinner, the teens went to go do their homework and Millie went to go play with her brother. Mike and El were curled up on the sofa watching an old movie neither of them watched in the 80s.

Mike soon started massaging his wife's shoulders.

"Why are you doing this?" El asks, confused and looking over her shoulder to her other half.

 _"No reason,"_ Mike said and continuing to work the knots that had caused his wife pain over one of her most stressful days.


	72. I'll meet you halfway

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mike sat in his car looking up at his girlfriend, who he'd been dating since he was 14.

**72\. I'll meet you halfway.**

* * *

Mike sat in his car looking up at his girlfriend, who he'd been dating since he was 14.

"You going to be ok?" Mike asked, looking out the window and holding her cheek lovingly.

"Of course I will," El said, smiling down at him.  _"I'll meet you halfway,"_

Mike smiled and started his car. His car that originally belonged to Nancy who now lives in New York with Jonathan and Steve (in a weird three-way relationship) and their two kids.

"See you soon, baby," Mike said, the two hated saying 'goodbye' after the time El disappeared for nearly an entire year.

"See you soon," El said, kissing his lips and letting him head off to university. She waved as her boyfriend drove away.


	73. Take mine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Winter arrives in Hawkins.

**73\. Take mine.**

* * *

With Winter already in Hawkins, it had made yet another appearance, rather quickly, overnight. Snow was something El was rather familiar with. It has been just 1 week since she crashed back into Mike's open arms. And they started dating.

Mike was woken up to his body being shaken slightly roughly. He opened his eyes and saw his beautiful girlfriend.

She'd stayed over the night before after a long night watching Star Wars (again...) and had curled up next to him - in his bed, either of them having a nightmare.

Hopper had allowed El to stay the night, knowing she'd pass out at some point while watching Star Wars. Even though he was scared over this, he knew El was smarter than he originally thought.

"Snow..." She trailed off, after being outside in the snow for about a month before Hopper found her, she hated the cold white stuff with a passion. Mike slightly smiled, wishing he'd gone outside looking for her when she was missing.

Holly must have opened her cute curtains and looked outside her own window when produced a high pitched shriek of joy.

Mike sat up in his bed, looking at El's scared face. "We can get some breakfast, and then we could go outside with Holly?" Mike offered, he knew El would do anything on this planet for his little sister, even if it means going outside and facing her worst nightmare.

The snow.

Either way, once she shakily nodded, accepting that it would be something she had to do for Holly. Mike reached over and pulled her into his arms. "Morning," he whispered, pecking her cheek.

El sighed, happy to be with Mike and have woken up next to him for the first time. "Morning," she replied, as she started to lean in and kiss him.

But were interrupted by Holly. 

* * *

Before she had gotten stuck in the snow, and having been rescued by Hopper - Mike explained what snow was. Crystallised water that fell in white flakes. But she hated the cold, as it reminded her of the horrible time she had been separated from him.

"El, come here," Mike said, holding out his hand for his girl. She toddled to his side, her smile brightening with every step she took towards him.

He noticed that she was missing a pair of gloves, the ones she was going to borrow off Nancy had been put in storage for so long, they ended up almost fallen apart in her hands from moth holes...

 _"Take mine,"_  he said, putting a pair of his old gloves from a couple of years ago, a little while before he met the girl standing before him.

El smiled at him, and wiggled her fingers in the gloves. "Thank you, Mike," she kissed Mike's cheek before she was dragged out into the snow by Holly Wheeler.


	74. We can share

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> El was snuggled in her new fleecy blanket.

**74\. We can share.**

* * *

El was snuggled in her new fleecy blanket she'd been given from Max after El came back from closing the gate, the girls came to an understanding and an agreement that they need each other in a group full of boys. It was a soft pink - which constantly reminded her of the dress the boys had given her when she was staying in the Wheeler basement that one week. She loved that dress, she's constantly asking Hopper to find a replacement for it, wanting the familiar comfort of her week with the boys.

She loved the fleecy material.

It was her new favourite thing. As she watched something on the TV, about 'real Ghostbusters' however it did make her giggle in some parts.

There was a repeated knock at the door.

• • • _ • • • • • _ • • •  
(353)

Mike.

She unlocked the door with her mind and snuggled deeper into her fleecy blanket.

Mike opened the door, and quickly dumped his backpack at the door, pushing the casserole his mother had shoved into his hands before he went to go see her, onto the small dining table.

He'd spoken to Hopper the night before if he could visit her when Hopper was at work today. 

* * *

Mike reached down and pulled his girlfriend into a soft and warm hug. "Hello, you," he kissed her nose and went to go grab his backpack.

El whined a little when Mike went to get his backpack. As soon as he had grabbed his backpack, he quickly toddled back to her side like he's a well-trained puppy. Since Max had stated that Mike follows El around like a puppy - it's what she sometimes call him.

He sat down next to her, and rested his head on her shoulder, trying to see what she's watching.

"You want to watch Star Wars again?" He offered, pulling out the well-used videotape. Hopper had allowed her to have a sleepover at the Wheeler's - with Max being there (with their friendship being one of the best things El has) and Karen meeting Jane Hopper - they'd introduced El to Star Wars and Max had almost fallen asleep of exhaustion after the Snow Ball.

El nodded rapidly and gave Mike a little push with her mind for him to put the tape in the VHS player Hopper bought during her year of hiding from her friends. Her Mike. Hopper got her things when she was good if she did her chores or she did well-doing something. But when she didn't do her chores or did something wrong like breaking the windows by accident - something was taken away, which Hopper hated doing.

 _"We can share,"_  she said, lifting part of her blanket that is pretty much hanging on the floor. For her boyfriend to snuggle up next to her.

"Thank you, baby," Mike said, kissing her nose, and curling up next to her, as they watched Star Wars.

For the millionth time...


	75. I was just thinking about you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> El has passed the entrance exam into High School.

**75\. I was just thinking about you.**

* * *

Mike was stood in the entrance of Hawkins High, waiting for his friends and his girlfriend to arrive. El had passed the exam to get into high school, with the help of her father and her friends.

His gorgeous girl. His El. The reason why he's still surviving. Why he's not fallen back down the hole of depression, something he did when El was taken into the upside down and hidden by Hopper for nearly an entire year.

Her soft brown curls that bounce every time she moves her head, giggles or walks. Her obsession with Eggos (and him). Her cute button nose that crinkled every time he kissed it. Her rosy cheeks, that turn a deep pink when he says something really sweet to her. Everything about her just made his heart flutter. 

* * *

Mike was brought out of his daydream, by a small energetic teenager jumping into his arms.

His girl.

"Hey," Mike said, kissing her softly and tenderly on the lips.  _"I was just thinking about you,"_

"That's nothing new," came the loud voice of Dustin, shattering Mike and El's peacefulness.

Mike simply rolled his eyes and raised his middle finger in Dustin's direction, but kept his heart-eyes focused solely on his girlfriend.

Just to annoy his friends, Mike held El's back and dipped her. Planting a large slobbery kiss on her face, making El squeal, and the rest of the party complaining.


	76. I want you to have this

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mike was packing away his stuff ready to go to college.

**76\. I want you to have this.**

* * *

Mike was packing away his stuff ready to go to college. He didn't want to leave this behind. What he means by this, is the young woman sat on his bed, chewing on a cold (but cooked) Eggo.

"I'm really proud of you, but I'm going to miss you so much," El said, as soon as she'd finished her final Eggo. She pushed herself off his bed and stood face-to-face (more like face-to-chest).

"I'm going to miss you too," Mike said, softly holding her face. "So, so much,"

Their noses came to press against each other as if they were trying to memorize every little thing about the other (even though they already knew this, it was an excuse for Mike to be carrying El like a baby and for El to properly look her boyfriend in the eyes).

 _"I want you to have this,"_  El said, pushing a photo frame into his hands.

In his hands, sat a pastel pink photo frame, with a small cluster of photographs during their time together.

Prom (Junior and Senior Prom), Spring Fling and Homecoming, the State Fair, Movie Night and the Snowball of 1984.

"Baby," Mike sighed, shutting his eyes, and kissing the top of her head. "Come with me,"

"What?" She looks up at him, extremely confused. She didn't get accepted into any of the college's she wanted and was left gripping at straws.

There was no chance of her going to college and getting the job she wanted. She wasn't going to become a speech therapist and it broke her heart. As well as Mike's.

"Come with me. There's some extra room in the dorm and you can share the bed with me - if you want, I mean if you don't you can take the bed and I can sleep on the sofa or the floor-" Mike rambled, before El put her finger over his mouth to stop him from speaking for a second.

"Of course I'll come with you,"


	77. Call me if you need anything

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another "Mike is sick" fic.

**77\. Call me if you need anything.**

* * *

Mike was going into work while his beautiful fiancée was laying in bed, sick.

"Are you sure you don't want me to stay home and look after you?" Mike offers, shuffling his bag further up his shoulder, books stacked highly in his hands.

"Someone needs to bring in the money today," she said. When you hear her speak, her voice is full of cold, her nose is practically blocked, eyes that look like they could burst into tears at any moment.

It looked like she has the flu.

"Ok," Mike sighed, knowing he's losing this battle.  _"Call me if you need anything,"_  Mike said, as he kissed the top of her head.

She nodded, and slowly fell asleep. Mike smiled and put her next lot of medicine down and with a timer to wake her up. With a kiss to her head, again, he went to work. 

* * *

It had been nearly a week since they assumed El had gotten the flu. Nancy came to check El over, after getting a phone call from her baby brother, sobbing down the phone worried over his fiancée.

There was one thing that Nancy wanted El to do, the same thing that she did to most women who had experienced this.

Pee on a stick.

When Nancy got the results back, it was two pink lines.

Pregnant.


	78. Do you want to come too?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> El goes to visit her mama.

**78\. Do you want to come too?**

* * *

El was stood by the passenger door of Hopper's police car, as she was preparing to go see her aunt and mother.

She smiled at Mike, who was stood before her with his soft eyes and hair, and delicate form that held her so tightly when need be.

 _"Do you want to come too?"_  El asks, looking at him as he shakes his head.

"They're your family, I'll let you spend time with them," Mike said, running his fingers through her curly brown hair.

El smiled softly at him, before hugging him tightly and warmly. Mike was her favourite person in the world, just a simple hug could make such a horrible day so much better.


	79. I'll still be here when you're ready

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Angst being thrown your way.

**79\. I'll still be here when you're ready.**

* * *

Mike and El's relationship slowly got rocky, and they stood face-to-face, holding the others hand.

 _"I'll still be here when you're ready,"_ Mike promised, holding her hand softly. He could feel his heart breaking. El was it for him, she was the one.

El smiled fakely, she cradled Mike's face and gave him one last kiss. Slap bang on his lips. 

* * *

El had broken up with Mike. It was for his own good, the gate had opened in Chicago and El was the only one who had the strength to close it.

It broke her heart to break his, but she didn't want him getting hurt by her powers nor anything the gate may throw at her. 

* * *

She sat on the bus, in the station, waiting for it to leave and head to Chicago.

A tall boy with dark hair, pale white skin, soft brown eyes.

Mike...

"El, why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you tell me it was open in Chicago?" Mike takes the open seat next to his ex-girlfriend, he spoke quietly to her.

"I didn't want you getting hurt, again. I've done that too much to you. Go home," she said, looking down at her bag, the feelings of love that never decreased for Mike, fluttered in her stomach. She's missed him so much, even though he was in arms reach.

"No, El, you could have told me. I don't care if I get hurt, I'm more concerned if you get hurt!" Mike exclaimed, catching some attention from the people on the bus.

"Mike, you deserve to be with someone who's normal. Go. Home," she said, not looking at the boy she fell in love with, if she took another look at him, she'd fall straight back into his arms. She wanted to protect him.

"I don't want normal! I want you! Since we broke up, I've been a mess, you know that! Please, I know you feel the same, can you please take me back?" Mike begs, holding her face and his heart in his hands.

Despite the trouble that might hit her when she goes to Chicago. But, this boy, in front of her, was her world. There's nobody else she wants more than this boy sat next to her.

She nods.


	80. Is your seatbelt on?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another El visiting mama.

**80\. Is your seatbelt on?**

* * *

El was sat in the passenger seat on Hopper's Police Truck, waiting for Hopper to say bye to Joyce.

Mike leaned over the door, sticking his head into the truck, to quickly peck her lips whilst Hopper wasn't looking (that's how they sneaked most of their kisses when El and Hopper lived in the cabin). He looked up at her, which felt odd to the pair because Mike was almost a foot taller than tiny El.

 _"Is your seatbelt on?"_ Mike asked, not looking down to see if it was.

She rolled her eyes, and flashed the black belt in front of Mike, showing that she was wearing it. "Obviously," she stated, Hopper had taught her that she had to wear a seatbelt now that the law of wearing one was starting to be enforced in Indiana.

"I'll see you when you get back?" Mike asked, reaching into the car, to give her hand a squeeze of comfort, El always felt jittery and nervous when she went to go visit her mama and aunt Becky.

She nods and kisses Mike's cheek as Hopper walks over. "HANDS OFF MY DAUGHTER, WHEELER!" 

* * *

El sat at her mama's side, holding her hand - El watching the TV, Terry was just staring into space, not paying any attention.

Hopper sat at the kitchen table with Becky, watching the mother-daughter duo. "Thank you for letting Jane visit," Becky said, smiling at her sister, who has been so damaged that she can't recognise her own daughter, and it breaks Becky's heart.

"Anytime, Becky," Hopper replied, not taking his eyes of El. "She begs me to let her visit, even though she knows I will always say yes, I can't keep her away from you two. You're her family, as much as she is my daughter," It still made his heart flutter whenever he called El his daughter. He'd really gotten a second chance after Sara.


	81. Sweet dreams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Post-Mileven Wedding.

**81\. Sweet dreams.**

* * *

Mike watched from the ensuite bathroom, as his new bride curled up in his old bed (as tomorrow they go on their week-long honeymoon).

El had been so exhausted from the excitement she had today (she just married her one and only!) but now she just needed to sleep for what felt like a century. She was more exhausted now than from the time she killed the Demogorgon AND closed the gate together. 

* * *

After Mike had finished brushing his teeth and making sure he looked acceptable to his new wife, he went back into his old bedroom and saw El almost asleep.

He let out a quiet chuckle and pulled the cover higher up her neck, tucking it under her chin to make sure she was warm.  _"Sweet dreams,"_ Mike whispered into her ear, kissing her forehead.

El let out what sounded like a whimper, "Mike..." she trailed off, reaching over for him as he moved around the bed to the other side, to slip in next to her.

"I'm still here, baby, I promise," Mike cooed, wrapping his arms around her, pulling her into his warm embrace. "Go back to sleep," Mike says, rocking her to the best of his ability while their laying in bed.

El sighed happily, nuzzling in closer to Mike, feeling his heartbeat under her cheek, Mike was finally hers for the rest of their lives.


	82. I was in the neighbourhood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> El visits Mike, properly (not in the void).

**82\. I was in the neighbourhood.**

* * *

There was a knock on the Wheeler's door, which wasn't loud enough to awake the sleeping Ted (again), and Karen got off the sofa and gently put Holly in front of the TV.

"Jane! Honey, what are you doing here? You're soaking," Karen commented, quickly slipping the young woman's coat off her and hanging it on the radiator for it to dry. 

There were a stomping of feet and around the corner, arrived Mike. Jane's long-term boyfriend. Who stands, confused and bewildered as to why his girlfriend is stood inside his house.

"I'll go get you a warm drink," Karen says, rubbing the girl's sweater covered arm, feeling some of the rain had soaked into her sweater through her coat.

"El, what are you doing here?" Mike asks, walking down the remainder of the stairs, and to her side. He quickly pulls her into a hug and nuzzles his face into the crook of her neck, feeling raindrops drip off her hair and onto his.

 _"I was in the neighbourhood,"_ she explained like it was the simplest thing on the planet. "I wanted to come see you,"

"Aw, babe," Mike cooed, nuzzling his nose against hers. He pulled away from her and shouted up the stairs. "NANCY! I NEED A TOWEL!" 

"GET IT YOURSELF, ASSHOLE!" Nancy yelled back, all the way from her bedroom. Sounding a little out of breath. 

* * *

Mike took the mug from his mom and walked back to El's side, who was sat on the Lay-Z-Boy. "There you go, baby. Just the way you like it," Mike promised, smiling over his shoulder at his mom.

"Thank you, Mike," she smiled down at him, as Mike started to gently rock the chair, a towel wrapped around El's head (absorbing the moisture from her hair), and a blanket resting comfortably on her lap. "Thank you, Mrs Wheeler," she said gratefully, smiling at Mike's mother.

"Anytime, honey," Karen smiled. "And call me Karen," she continued, making Mike smile - his girlfriend and his mom getting along made him so happy.


	83. Stay there. I'm coming to get you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's like thunder, lightning.

**83\. Stay there. I'm coming to get you.**

* * *

There was a loud rumble of thunder, a huge flash of lightning, and two loud screams of shock and fright.

Mike looked out of the kitchen window and then looked at the clock on the oven. 7.30 pm, El should have been home by now.

Two sets of feet ran down the stairs, announcing the arrival of his scared children. "Daddy, where's mommy?" 5-year-old, Leia Maxine Wheeler asked a slight lisp to her speak (she only recently lost her two middle teeth, which she showed proudly to anyone. Anyone!) Her 3-year-old little brother Luke James Wheeler, nodding at her side.

Then the phone rang.

"Hello?" Mike answered the phone, hearing the sobs of his wife - the mother of his two children. "El, honey? What's wrong?" Mike had always known that El was scared of thunderstorms, he was so lucky to have taken her out of the thunder when they met in 1983.

"Mike, I'm still at the school..." she trailed off, Mike knew that Dustin was on paternity leave with his newborn baby, as El works at Hawkins Middle and Dustin at Hawkins High - Dustin usually gave El lift to and from work.

 _"Stay there. I'm coming to get you,"_ Mike promises, with El's acceptance and the promise she will stay in her office - Mike hung up the phone.

Their two kids looked up at their dad, wondering what he was going to do. If he left them home, he'd never forgive himself nor would his family. But, it would take ages to get the kids in their coats, shoes and car seat before he went for El - and she was currently terrified.

"Quick, coats, shoes. We're bringing mommy home!"


	84. The key is under the mat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mike had been left home, alone.

**84\. The key is under the mat.**

* * *

Mike had been left home alone. Ted no longer lived in the Wheeler house, Nancy was at university with Jonathan in New York, Karen had taken Holly to her swimming lesson. All Mike wanted at this moment in time, was to cuddle his girlfriend.

He sighed heavily, sitting up properly from the couch. Mike sighed again and looked at where the Lay-Z-Boy. His mom had bought a new one from when she saved up the money she now makes. Even though it wasn't as worn away as the one his 'father' slept on, it still held a happy memory of El's laugh when he sat her down on it for the first time.

Mike wrapped his blanket around himself a little bit tighter, as he walked over to the phone, and dialled the number has had memorised long before he'd met El. Hopper and El had moved into the Byers' home, just before Jonathan moved away to college.

(It was nice having Jonathan and Will share a room, it was just like the old days when they had to share because Will's room was still being built. But they had so much fun when they were sharing a room all that time ago).

"Hello?" came the sweet voice of Jane "El" Hopper, over the other end, as Mike smiled happily, having gotten the right person on the other end.

"Hi, sweetheart," Mike said, and on the other end of the line, El smiled so brightly, it could rival that of the sun.

El was lucky enough to have a phone in her own room, the supercom sat proudly on her bedside table, for when she didn't want to tie up the phone line and wanted to have a happy and PRIVATE conversation with him. "Hi, Mike!" she bounced on her toes, smiling down the line.

"Mom has taken Holly to her swimming lesson, you wanna come over and watch Star Wars?" Mike offers, making El smile and laugh happily.

"Of course!" It honestly didn't matter what movie it was, she always loved spending time with Mike.

 _"The key is under the mat,"_ Mike says, making El roll her eyes and sigh a little.

"I know, Michael, I'll see you in 10 minutes," 


	85. It doesn't bother me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If El had found Mike when she left the Upside Down.

**85\. It doesn't bother me.**

* * *

Instead of El hiding in the woods for a month before she was taken in by Hopper, El escaped the Upside Down and stumbled along the corridors, calling Mike's name.

Hearing her name being called back in return.

"El?!" Mike shouted, hearing his name being called, speedwalking out into the corridor, shouting her name as he looked for her.

"Mike?" she asked, walking around the corner, slime dripping off her as she walked. She could hear his heavy footsteps walking around the corridor.

This is when Mike heard the dripping of something on the floor and turned around to see the tiny girl, covered from head to toe in slime, and it looked like she'd been in the middle of a war zone.

They both ran to each other and almost collapsed to the floor when they fell into each other's arms, Lucas and Dustin joining in on the hug, feeling the slime sticking slightly to their skin.

"Sorry," was all that came out of in a meek-like squeak from El, who looked down at her now destroyed dress, socks and jacket.

Mike took some of the slime off her face and smiled down at her.  _"It doesn't bother me,"_ Mike promised, not caring that he will be covered in the same stuff El is. She's only been gone 5 minutes but it felt like she has been gone for 353 days (a strange number but it is one either way).


	86. You're important, too

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Wheeler's get a divorce.

**86\. You're important, too.**

(contains adult language)

* * *

 Mike had always felt insignificant in his father's eyes. Every award, every trophy, always underappreciated by his father and over-appreciated by his mom.

But when he met El, he felt so much happier. She never saw him as a high achieving nerd. She just saw him as Mike, the boy who saved her, pulled her out of the rain, kept her safe and loved her. All he asked was for her love in return.

Which he got.

He wanted to do everything with El. He had his first kiss with her, his first dance, his first heartbreak... But he knew that this was just the beginning of their life together, happily. 

* * *

But now, Mike was heartbroken for a completely different reason.

( _"God, Ted! I wish you paid more attention to Michael!" Karen had screamed at her husband, as Holly was hidden under the covers next to Mike._

 _"The kid is shit at sports, and why is he so into science! It's bullshit, you know I wanted a son that could do sports, not one that was a science geek!" Was Ted's reply, and that just shattered Mike's world..._ ) 

* * *

El had been happily sat, curled up next to her dad, reading a book out loud, whilst a football game played in the background. When Hopper's favourite team got closer and closer to the end zone, he got louder and louder, shouting at the TV for them to run. Hopper's yelling no longer scared her, or upset her - unless it was directed at her.

But the peace and tranquillity was interrupted by the repetitive knock, that two pairs of the party made up. Mike and El.

Hopper raised an eyebrow at the girl sat next to him. He knew El had made up a knock with Mike, he knew that she knew it was him.

"Mike..." she trailed off, looking at the clock above the small table. 9:34 pm.

When Hopper went to answer it, they never heard that rain had started. Because at the front door, stood a 5ft 9, Mike Wheeler, holding his sobbing baby sister in his arms tightly.

Mike never came around unexpected, it was always planned, as this was unexpected and unplanned. He could only assume something had gone horribly wrong.

"Wheeler's, what are you two doing here?" Hopper asked, taking Mike by the arm and dragging him inside, in the shelter of the cabin.

Holly's sobs got louder, making El put down her book and walk over to Holly. "Ewwie," (which means Ellie in uncrying speak) she sniffled, reaching out for the older girl. Mike gently handed his baby sister over to his girlfriend, who cradled Holly in her arms, gently calming the toddler down.

El had taken one of Mike's hand and pulled in to the comfy sofa, curled up next to him and held Holly tightly to her.

"What happened, kid?" Hopper asked, wrapping a towel around Mike's shoulders as well as one around Holly. Holly snuggled further into the softness of the towel (which is El's) and the warm body holding her.

Mike sniffles a little, causing El to curl up closer and rest her head over his heart. "Divorce..." is all he says, and Hopper looks down at Mike and then to El who looks confused. He shakes his head at his daughter, silently telling her not to say anything. "Not important..." he trails off, looking away into the distance.

"That's bullshit, you're both as important as each other," Hopper stated, Holly looking up at the big teddy bear figure, shocked at the curse word slipping from his mouth.

Mike nodded stiffly, before looking down at his girlfriend.  _"You're important, too,"_  Mike said to her, making her smile.


	87. I saved you a seat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lumax wedding.

**87\. I saved you a seat.**

* * *

El had gone to help Max get changed out of her wedding dress, and into something more 'Max'. The red-head had spent all day in a white dress (mainly to appease her mother) but it was done.

Max had married Lucas. Lucas had married Max.

Mike was so happy for the pair, and as he held his tiny 1½ month-old to his chest, feeling the baby whimper and whine under his hand - he knew that little Lily needed feeding soon.

Dustin walked over and placed himself where El was once sat, moving the baby bag out of the way, so he could rest his feet on a chair.

"Do you mind?" He whispers, speaking as quietly as he can, without disturbing baby Lily.

Dustin fake thought for a moment. "No, not really," Dustin commented, as his fiancée called him away, to wave away the married couple.

When Dustin had walked away, Mike slowly crouched down, and picked up the baby bag, and rested it back on the chair it was sat on, when El walked over.

She still looked as flawless as she did this morning, in his opinion. Even though the natural oils in her face had started to break down the makeup, she looked really tired after (most likely) fighting with Max's dress to get it off, the eyelashes the makeup artist had stuck on El's eyes were gone, every time she rubbed her eyes - it made the makeup worse.

 _"I saved you a seat,"_  Mike comments, patting on her chair. El sighed heavily when she sat down and was gently handed her youngster when Mike lifted El feet into her lap and started massaging her feet.

"I already said see you later to Max and Lucas," El said, as Lily started to wake up and was greeted by a tired mommy, but it was mommy none the less. She made a very happy gurgle, and grabbed her nose, before looking around and seeing daddy sat across from them.

"I said, see you later to them as well. We can go when you want to," Mike offers, pulling a funny face in Lily's direction, earning a squeal of giggles from the cubbster. It was one of Mike's favourite sounds, rivalling with the sound of El's voice. 

* * *

After Lily was fed from the bottle made up earlier in the day, the little family decided it was way past Lily's bedtime (and their own) as all they wanted to do now, was curl up in bed and fall asleep.

El had made the smart decision and put a baby grow in the baby bag (as well as makeup wipes) so they can get Lily ready for bed, and straight into bed when they go home (and El can take her makeup off, take her dress and shoes off and also go to bed).


	88. I'll see you later

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So many 'El is pregnant' fics...

**88\. I'll see you later.**

* * *

El was cradling her baby bump as Mike tucked their duvet cover over her. She was now on maternity leave as they awaited the arrival of their precious baby. El smiled up at Mike lovingly, as he checked over her to make sure she would be ok for today.

"You sure you'll be ok today?" He asks, running his fingers through her curl ridden hair. El's hair was like tiny little corkscrews, whereas Mike's went very, very curly only in heavy heat.

"I'll be fine, Mike. I've got my soap operas, my food, and this little one," El rubs her stomach when she comments on their unborn baby, feeling it kick back against her hand. They didn't want to know what they were having, they wanted to keep it a surprise.

"Promise?" He asks it was very rare that Mike needed the justification of 'promise', it was usually El that needed the word.

El nodded. "Promise," she replied, reaching up to rest Mike's hand over her stomach, as the baby kicked Mike's hand in response.

"Do I have to go to work?" Mike sighs, resting in cheek on her pregnant stomach.

El rolls her eyes. "Yes, you're the breadwinner or something like that now," El said, making Mike nod and sit up.

"If we're gonna give this little one the best life we can give it, I'm gonna have to go to work," Mike sighed, standing up and continued to run his fingers through her hair.

"Have a good day," she smiles, watching as Mike walked over to get his backpack, and threw it over his shoulder.

He smiled back at his wife.  _"I'll see you later,"_  Mike promises, they don't say 'goodbye' anymore, because it holds too many harsh memories of El leaving him in 1983.

"See you later," she replies.


	89. I noticed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mike let El take a break from the stress of their children.

**89\. I noticed.**

* * *

Mike gave El a break away from him and the kids, who he had to admit as they were now getting older were starting to drive him nuts, with Max (as Lucas and their kids were starting to drive her nuts as well).

They went on a little spa break, as Mike looked after their little munchkins, all he hoped was that El was having a nice, relaxing time. 

* * *

Karen had wanted to spend some quality time with her beloved grandbabies, and she promised to drop them off at school on Monday morning, and then bring the kids overnight bags back home, and tell her son and daughter-in-law what had happened while they were with her.

Mike was left on Sunday, with his kids with his mom, and his wife will be coming home at some point today. Mike was home alone, which was now a very rare occasion now that he had kids of his own.

He decided to do the stupidest thing on the planet. Walk around the house in his boxers. Before their kids were born (but even when El was pregnant with their eldest Leia, he use to walk around in his boxers then) he uses to walk around in his boxers, and even then El couldn't keep her hands off him - to be honest, she can't now.

The key when in the door when Mike was finishing off baking his and El's dinner, El had come home just in time.

"Mike? Honey?" Mike's favourite person spoke, making him smile happily, he'd missed her so much even though she'd been gone for 2 days.

Even though it had been two days, it felt like a century. Before they got married or were even dating, their lives were so intertwined that they can't cope without each other.

"El! Come here, baby!" Mike called, hearing El drop her bag and run in the direction of where Mike's voice was taking her.

When El jumped into his arms, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. Completely koala bearing him. But Mike didn't care, all he did was wrap his arms around her and sit in one of the chairs around the island. Mike noticed that El's hair was currently straightened.

El pulls her head away from where it was resting on Mike's shoulder and smiled at her husband. "Look at my hair!" She exclaimed, shaking her head, causing her usual curly locks to shake all around her head.

Mike smiled brighter and ran his fingers through her hair. "I noticed," he said, smiling at his loving wife.


	90. You can tell me anything

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> El needs the comfort of Mike.

**90\. You can tell me anything.**

* * *

El was sobbing in her room, in the quiet cabin - Hopper stuck in the station, stuck on the night shift covering for someone. Usually, it was Hopper she went running to. Usually in the middle of the night. As she curled into the man, needing the comfort of the man that she calls a 'teddy bear'. But, when Hopper was unavailable to comfort her, she goes running the one person who owns her heart.

Mike Wheeler.

She loves Mike with all her heart, and she knew that he was the one that she was going to spend the rest of her life with.

But right now, whilst she was in floods of tears, she just wanted Mike's arms wrapped around her so tightly and comfortingly. That she had to get him on the end of the phone... well, supercom. 

* * *

When Mike finally arrived at the cabin: exhausted, tired, panting heavily but alert as he started his secret knock, created with El - for the door to be quickly unlocked telekinetically by El. He had quickly gotten used to El unlocking the door by her powers, the first time this happened, he almost jumped out of his skin when he suddenly heard the chains on the door open.

"El? Where are you, darling?" Mike called, as he walked in and shut the door behind him, putting the locks back where they were supposed to be. He heard El sniffle loudly from her bedroom, whilst he was taking off his shoes. 

When he was walking into El's room, he heard her shuffling and saw her slowly emerge at the doorway, swaddled in her quilted cover, red eyes, red nose, tear-stained cheeks. How long had she been crying for?

"Come here," Mike softly spoke, opening his arms for her. He watched as his heart broke, as she continued to cry softly, shuffled gently and nuzzled into Mike's comforting arms. Mike rubbed where her back would be, and whispered soft and loving words into her ear as he rocked her back and forth on their feet.

 _"You can tell me anything,"_  Mike promised, reaching a hand around to run his fingers through her hair. El couldn't get a single word out, as the memories of her being treated like she was their own personal lab rat. They didn't care about her feelings or anything, she was just an experiment that was to be chucked away when finished with.

She couldn't get any words out, and burst into a fresh set of tears, as she sobbed heavily into the shoulder of the boy who had saved her, protected her and fed her at 12-years-old, and now loved her with his whole heart at 17.


	91. I hope you like it

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mike's birthday.

**91\. I hope you like it.**

* * *

It was Mike's birthday, what felt like one of the millions that El has spent with him. It was only their second as a married couple; celebrating his birthday.

Every year, El goes crazy and decorates the living room to celebrate.

Every year, Mike tells her that she needn't do it. But she does anyway.

(But Mike does the same thing to her for her birthday...)

This year's gift from her to him was different.

In a blue box, held an envelope and some sticks that would change their lives forever. 

* * *

The final box to open was El's. Mike always saved El's present for last - he always has done since she learnt when his birthday was and what a present was.

Mike always savoured what El had carefully wrapped for him, and it was always something meaningful and cherishable whenever he received it.

("What do you get the boy who has everything?" The boys had always said, everything that Mike wanted in life, was wrapped up in one person. El.)

Before he opened the box, El spoke up.  _"I hope you like it,"_  she meekly says, looking down at her lap, refusing to look into Mike's eyes.

Mike lifted El's chin so she was looking him in the eye. "Baby, it came from you, I'll love it even if it was a turd in there," this got a light giggle out of El (which Mike called a win) before pulling off the lid. "El? Please tell me this is real,".

Mike pulls out a black and white photograph of a peanut-shaped blob. It's the kind of thing where you want to draw a tophat, spectacles and little arms and legs on the picture so that it looks like Mr Peanut from the adverts Mike and El have seen so much. Also in the box, are three white stick. Not just any white stick.

Three. POSITIVE. Pregnancy. Sticks.

"Yes. Real," Mike knew instantly that El was scared, she'd reverted back to the old days when she doesn't say much at all.

A look of pure job lit up Mike's face. He let out a laugh of joy and wrapped his arms around her. "We're having a baby!" He shouted for joy and happiness, spinning her around and gently putting her back down on his feet.

"You're not angry?" She asks, scared that Mike was angry that she was pregnant. It was a struggle, that it was a chance that El couldn't ever have the family that her and Mike had dreamed of. But, now they were expecting their little miracle.

Mike looked at his wife like she was crazy. "Angry? Why would I be angry?" He asks, reaching up to tangle the fingers of one hand in her hair, and the other rested where the next generation was slowly growing and developing. "This is the life that we've always wanted, even though the doctor's said there was a million in one chance that this would happen, it happened. We're having a baby!" Mike smiled, rubbing where their baby rests.


	92. I want you to be happy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mike struggles between the two universities of his choice.

**92\. I want you to be happy.**

* * *

Mike was sat at the D&D table, that was becoming to rickety to be used as much as it was used when the party were kids.

On the table sat two college letters. Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Indiana State University.

He wanted to stay close to Hawkins because El was staying in Hawkins due to her helping her aunt look after mama in her final days. Mike knew that El wanted to have her final moments with her mama.

The young woman who had his heart was laying down on the couch, looking over at him with her own 'heart eyes' that the party tease both her and Mike about.

Even though Mike was leaning towards ISU, because it will be closer to El, his dream was to go to MIT and make his family proud.

Whilst Mike was having an internal dilemma, El had shuffled off the couch and wrapped her arms around Mike's shoulders, and rested her head against the side of his.

"Why are you debating where to go?" El asked, running her fingers through his hair. "MIT is the best school you could go to!"

"What about you?" Mike asks, looking up at her. Her curl ridden hair looked more like an afro in this heat, even though she was sweaty, sticky from the sweat and the heat had started to drive her a little bit loopy - but even when she was acting like this, in this heat - she was still his favourite person in the world.

 _"I want you to be happy,"_  El explained, pushing the Indiana State University letter away and pulling the MIT one closer to her boyfriend.

Mike sighed and picked up the college letter from the college of his dreams, and opened it. He scanned what was written on the piece of paper, and smiled. "I got in... I GOT IN!" He shouted, jumping about and hugging his girlfriend tightly.


	93. I believe in you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mike had never lost faith in El.

**93\. I believe in you.**

* * *

Mike had never ever lost faith in El, never. Not even when she was presumed to be dead for three-hundred and fifty-three days, Mike believed that she was alive and that she would come home one day. Which she did.

But, now there was a new threat upon them. The Tesslahydra was back, to take it's revenge on El shutting the gateway.

El had found other lab experiments and now she knew the reason why she had the sudden urge to find them. It had taken her months upon months, but she had tracked down Kail (008), as well as 001 (who had striking similarities to Sigourney Weaver for some reason, which had made Dustin faint) 005 (who rivalled the looks of a young Harrison Ford) and 007 (who rivalled Johnny Depp faintly).

They were going back into the lab, to destroy the Tesslahydra and close the gate once and for all. Mike was terrified he will completely lose El, and he would never get her back. 

* * *

Mike had her wrapped up tightly in his arms, clinging to her in case it was the last time that he would hold her. She was his one and only, there was no one in this world that he wanted more than El. She was  **it**  for him.

 _"I believe in you,"_  Mike says, kissing the top of her head, as Hopper finished his cigarette, even though he had quit - it was times like these when he needed the nicotine.

"I know you do," El smiles up at him, and nuzzled her nose against his.

Hopper looked over at the couple, honestly, he'd hate to split them up - but there's a Tesslahydra to kill and a gateway to shut. "Time to go, kid," he called, as Mike and El separated, Mike nodding and heavily sighing - letting his girl do what she has to do.


	94. You can do it

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mike tries to walk again after breaking his leg.

**94\. You can do it.**

* * *

Mike had broken his ankle extremely badly when he crashed down the stairs, his massive growth spurt putting him off his hand-to-eye coordination, which had never been brilliant.

El had gone with him to get his final cast off, which had been there for the past 4 weeks. She had gone with Holly and Karen for moral support.

They were sat in the room, where Mike had originally had his cast up on, with Holly sat on El's lap, El in one chair holding Mike's hand and Karen sat in the other.

"Ok, Mr Wheeler, let's get this cast-off," The doctor said, putting the clipboard down and started preparing the tools needed to take the cast off. 

* * *

Holly was taken off El's lap, and rested snuggly in Karen's arms, as the doctor gently removed the cast from Mike's healed and free leg.

El stood up from the chair, and gently pulled Mike to his feet as best she could. Mike winced when his free foot made contact with the floor, as it had been rested for the past 6+ weeks.

"Take a few steps to get used to it," the doctor suggested, making Mike nod as he slowly hobbles along the cold flooring, walking towards his girl and his family.

 _"You can do it,"_  El comments, giving Mike a supportive smile. Including the cheers coming from Karen and Holly, that was the support that he needed to get back on his feet properly.


	95. Good luck

**95\. Good luck.**

* * *

El was standing in front of the head teacher's office, as she prepares for her interview for the speech and language therapist job. The main reason why she became a speech and language therapist, was because of Mike (and Hopper) who had helped her improve her speech over the years.

Mike was sat in the chair, watching her wait for the nod, for her to go in. He was fiddling with his fingers watching her start to get worried.

"You'll do amazing," Mike promises, walking over and hugging her from behind.

"Miss. Hopper?" The headmistress walked out with a clipboard, as she announced El's soon to be changed name.

Mike hugged her once more, tightly for good luck.  _"Good luck,"_  he whispered in her ear, and with a kiss on her cheek, she went into the room. 

* * *

When El came out of the room, she had the world biggest grin on her face. Which was how Mike knew that El had gotten the job, he could read her like a book.

"Did you get it?" He asks, just on the off chance that he was wrong.

"They loved me, and they want me to start on Monday!" She exclaimed, as it was currently Wednesday afternoon, it made sense for El to start fresh on Monday rather than tomorrow

Mike hugged her tightly. "I'm so proud of you, honey,"

He was so unbelievably proud of his beautiful fiancée, the pride he had fluttering in his chest for her happiness. The way he was hugging El right now, could rival that of when they reunited in 1984, but that time he hugged her tighter than he ever has and tighter than he ever would.


	96. I brough you an umbrella

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mike takes an umbrella just in case it rains.

**96\. I brought you an umbrella.**

* * *

Mike had gone up to the cabin, to bring El to the park, so she could get part of her childhood that she missed.

The rest of the party were already down at the park, waiting for the Paladin and the Mage of the group to arrive.

When Mike arrived at the cabin, it was sunny, warm and wall-to-wall blue sky. But, Karen had seen the weather forecast and shoved an umbrella into his backpack.

"I want her back here at 9.30, you hear me, Wheeler?" Hopper says as El rushes into Mike's arms - in a soft, pretty sundress that Joyce had bought her on a whim when she went shopping for her boys summer clothes.

Mike nods and promises to have her back home in time. He'd noticed how El's curfew had gotten that little bit later now that the longest day of the year was approaching. 

* * *

Whilst they were walking away from the park, the party were shouting above each other, trying to get their point of view across.

Which is when the heavens decided to open.

El let out a small scream as the rain started to hit her hair, the limited times she's been outside have shown that whenever her hair gets wet - it becomes an untameable, frizzy mess when dried.

Mike quickly started to rummage through his backpack and found the umbrella his mom had shoved in.  _"I brought you an umbrella,"_  Mike said, putting the umbrella up, wrapping his arm around El, bringing her into his side and shielded them both from the droplets.

"Thank you, Mike," El smiled as she wrapped her arms around Mike and nuzzled into his side for better protection. Mike was like her own personal umbrella, it just made it better when he shielded them with an actual umbrella.


	97. I'll pick you put at the airport

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mike goes on holiday with his sisters and mother.

**97\. I'll pick you up at the airport.**  

* * *

Mike had gone on a joint holiday with Holly and Nancy (as Karen was recovering from her sudden broken leg, and Ted very, very rarely spoke to the family). Before take off, Mike had rung El, to see if she was still ok with picking him up from the airport.

 _"I'll pick you up from the airport,"_ she promised before he'd gotten on the plane there.

"Mike, I promised I'll be there," she said like it was the most obvious thing ever. 

* * *

When Mike landed back in Indiana, back in the country he knows. Back to his wife and his little boy.

Even though Mike loved his sister's and his mom, he wanted to see the woman he married, the little baby that she'd protected for 8½ months inside of her and went through 8 hours of agony to bring the little boy into the world.

He grabbed his suitcase from the belt and waited for the girls' to get their suitcases, like the patient young man he was raised to be.

Suitcases found, they walked to the arrival area, and tried to spot their loved ones.

For Nancy, it was Jonathan and their young ones.  
Holly was still living at home with Karen.  
For Mike, it was El and their young one.

Nancy quickly spotted Jonathan's tall, lanky and awkward form, standing high above the crowd with their eldest on his shoulders - waving madly at her mother - and their youngest, fast asleep in his pushchair.

A tight Wheeler group hug and sent Nancy on her way. Tiredly into the arms of her equally tired husband, and their excitable babies.

Holly was the one that spotted her sister-in-law El, smiling sleepily at her family, as she slowly stands up, their youngster clinging to her like a koala bear (gently sitting on her growing stomach.

Even though their son was just over a year and a half old, he loved cuddles from his parents - especially his mom - and barely made a move when she stood up.

A smile brightened Mike's face, as his eyes caught his wife's. "Say hello to El for us," Karen comments, rubbing her son's back as she and Holly walked out of the airport.

"Will do, mom!" Mike called, as he dragged himself and his suitcase into the arms of his beautiful bride. He hugged her gently but warmly, he rubbed the head of his beautiful boy, and where their second baby rests.

"I told you I'd pick you up," El said, proving her promise, along with a kiss on his cheek, which woke up young Wheeler.

"Daddy," came the tiny voice, reaching for his father.


	98. Take a deep breath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> El goes into labour.

**98\. Take a deep breath.**

* * *

This was something El could have only dreamed of when she was hidden away in the lab. Only now, the pain is excruciating.

She only dreamed of getting married. She only dreamed of getting pregnant. She only dreamed of having a baby.

It was all down to Mike. He'd saved her and helped her through everything. Only was it right now, that she blamed him for something.

"THIS IS YOUR FAULT, WHEELER! YOU DID THIS TO ME!" El screamed, as their baby came closer and closer to entering the world. Mike knew that El didn't mean this, he knew that this was just the pain of giving birth talking. All he wanted to do was to take it all away, let himself suffer through the pain.

Mike didn't say anything in return, only holding El hand tighter, knowing that by the end of this, she might possibly break his hand. But it would all be worth it when their little miracle came into the world.

Originally, it had been a slim chance of El ever getting pregnant, of them ever having a baby that was half him and half her. But, somehow, the forces were with them, and El was finally expecting.

 _"Take a deep breath,"_  Mike says as the midwife tells El to sit up slightly. Mike starts to rub her back. "You can do this," he promises, as the midwife told El it was time to push. 

* * *

After 6 hours of waiting to be told to push, she was finally told and put all her strength (minus her powers) into giving birth to their baby.

As El gently cradles their newborn in her arms, hearing his cries settle down, and his eyes open. Looking up at his mama, with the same eyes as his father. He also had a head full of hair like his daddy, but it was light brown like his mama's.

"I promise I didn't mean what I said," she spoke softly, drawing her eyes away from the bundle of blue, and up to her husband.

"It doesn't matter anymore, he's here," Mike commented, and was then handed his son. He didn't have any bizarre expectations for his son like his own father did, the little boy in his arms was perfect just the way he was.


	99. Be careful

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nothing scares Mike more than losing El.

**99\. Be careful.**

* * *

The time had come. It was time to finally get rid of the Tessalahydra once and for all, along with the gate to the Upside Down. To get rid of the horror that had plagued them for four years running.

Mike was hugging El as tightly as he could, not wanting to let her go, but he knew that she had to do this one last time so that they could live as normal as a life as they could, and that's all that Mike wanted for her.

But he knew that El had to do this to protect her family, the town of Hawkins, the state of Indiana, the country of the United States of America and possibly the entire world, from the destruction of the world as they know it.

They slowly separate, and Mike holds his 2-year girlfriend's soft and smooth face in his hands. When he first met her, she had a slight babyface (as did he went they met), but since then her face slimmed down, her hair grew in, she grew into yourself.

 _"Be careful,"_  Mike begged, looking at her beautiful face that would pull him from the abyss in a matter of second.

"I promise," she replies, and Mike has to hold in his tears, to stop him from sobbing into her safe arms. When El had escaped from the lab, the bad men told Karen and Ted that the tiny girl was 'dangerous'. When Mike eventually told his mom that El was the girl from the lab, Karen told Mike to stop being associated with her (because she was 'dangerous') - but Mike didn't. Because El wasn't dangerous, she had saved his life many times, more than he'd like to admit.

Mike hugged his girl once more, as tightly as he could, and slowly let her go - to save all their asses again. 

* * *

It was early morning when the headlights of the Hawkins Police Department truck (owned by Chief Jim Hopper) pulled up into the driveway of Joyce Byers' (soon-to-be Hopper) home. The inside of the home looked like it would on an everyday basis, however (like the past 4 years of fighting the Upside Down) it was a complete mess, with sleeping bags thrown all over the place, paper here there and everywhere.

A complete mess.

The front door of the home opened up, and out shot a tired but wide awake Mike Wheeler, buzzing with nervous energy as he looked at the truck, scared. It was obvious he was scared, he was avoiding eye contact with Hopper, his eyes were wide, with his eyebrows raised and furrowed. He was fidgetting with anything he could get his hands (his clothing, his own hands) as well as drumming them on the wood nearby. Even though he has a little habit of his leg shaking (which is a habit that El picked up), he was rocking back and forth on his feet.

"Is she ok?" He rushes out, not wanting to speak as much, as his heart felt like it was going up and down between his stomach and his throat.

"Yeah, kid, she did good. She's just resting, it took a lot out of her," Hopper explained, as he gently lifted El out of the car, as she curled up into a ball, into the warmth of Hopper and away from the coldness of November.


	100. I love you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The next step...

**100\. I love you.**

* * *

Mike and El were on their own, walking through the fields of flowers. Each and every one they walked past, El had to touch, as each had a different texture and it fascinated her.

(This was before they realised that El suffers from Hay Fever, which she thought was a sickness that someone else could catch and refused to kiss or even hug Mike until someone explained. It was a difficult time for the couple as Mike battled against her.)

They weren't actually alone... the rest of the party was walking along the field further up, Lucas was giving Max a piggyback, Dustin was being chased by a wasp, and Will was fiddling with flowers.

"I'm so happy Hopper has started to let you out," Mike said, reaching over to - bravely - wrap his arm around her. It made sense for her to be intertwining herself with the sleepy town, so it wouldn't look weird when she started high school and instantly knew Mike 'Frogface' Wheeler and the rest of the 'nerds'.

"Me too," she smiled as Will slowed down to catch up with the couple.

All Will did was, place the daisy chain crown onto El's head and then went to catch up the rest of the party.

Mike admired the crown on her head and smiled that she finally the crown that she deserved.  _"I love you,"_  Mike said, blurting it out, and then stopping in his tracks when he realised what he had just said.

"Really?" She asks, looking at Mike with her 'heart eyes'. Mike nods meekly, not looking at her. She reached up to hold his face and make his eyes look at her. _"I love you,"_

El knew the definition of love, and when she answered Mike - his face brightened to show how happy he was, he was head over heels for El, and he was over the moon that she felt the same way.


	101. Is this Okay? (Extended Version)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Extended chapter of number 42, Is this Okay?

**42\. Is this Okay? (Extended Version).**

* * *

El and her best friend, Max, walked up the basement stairs, as the boys have neared the end of their game. The pair walked into the kitchen, El put Eggos into the toaster as Max put a couple of packet of popcorn in the microwave.

El and Max were happily chatting about the new theme park that's going to be built in France.

"Euro Disney Resort!" El exclaimed, bouncing on her toes, as she added more Eggos into the toaster. "We totally should go when it's built!" El continued.

"We totally should!" Max said, pouring the popped popcorn into the bowls. They didn't know at that moment in time that it would take 5 years for it to be built. 

* * *

Mike took a drink from the juice box and felt eyes staring at him. He looked up from his notebook and saw the first 3 friends he ever made staring at him.

"What?" He asks, his eyebrows crinkling together.

"What's it like dating El?" Lucas asked and Will looked at him. "What?" He asks.

"Dude, that's my sister," Will said, taking a sip from his juice box.

"But," Mike says, and Will rolls his eyes - ready to hear his best friend have heart-eyes over El. "She's amazing, I don't know what I would do if I never met her." Mike smiled, looking down at the notebook in front of me. 

* * *

El walked down the stairs with a large plate of Eggos and Max with two bowls of popcorn.

Newly turned 17-year-old Jane 'El' Hopper sat on the lap of her 17-year-old loving boyfriend, Mike Wheeler, who she's been dating for nearly 3 years.

"Hello, you," Mike said, looking away from the Dungeon masters book before him and ignore the complaints of their friends.

" _Is this okay?_ " El asked, looking at Mike cautiously.

"Of course," Mike said, lovingly stroke his girlfriend's cheek.

"DUDE!" Came the chorused voices of Dustin, Lucas, Max and El's somewhat brother - Will.

Mike rolled his eyes, pulled the notebook he uses for  _Dungeons & Dragons _to him and set it in El's lap.

"The Banderlog screeches as Queen Max's sword SLAMS into its rotting heart, the creatures keels over and..." Mike take a dramatic breath and his head dropped into the crook of El's neck - signalling the Banderlog's death.

Dustin, Lucas, Will and Max cheered and danced around the basement as Mike nuzzled his head into the crook of El's neck. 

* * *

El snuggled into bed next to Mike. Mike smiled down at her and tugged her closer.

"Did you have fun today?" El asks, nuzzling her head into Mike's chest. Her boyfriend sighed happily and brought her closer to him.

"Yeah," Mike said, yawning - feeling himself drop off.

"Night, Mike," she whispered, falling asleep in his arms.

"Night, El," Mike said, falling asleep as his head dropped on top of hers.


	102. I made reservations (Extended Version)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Extended version of number 54, I made reservations.

**54\. I made reservations (Extended Version).**

* * *

Mike had pulled Karen aside, just one week before the anniversary of the day he'd first met El. He was going to pop the question.

"Mom, can I ask for a favour?" Mike was fiddling with his fingers, looking up at his mother with what she would call his 'puppy dog' eyes.

"Of course," Karen said, setting down the vase that she was putting the delicate flowers El had brought over for their weekly dinner, which even after all this time, Karen still found sweet.

Mike sighed. "Mom, you know I'm 22, and I've been thinking about this a lot over the past year and a half. But, I want to marry Jane," even after Mike having been able to trust his mother about El's past - he was still yet to kick the habit of calling her 'Jane' in front of her.

"Oh, honey! I'm so proud of you!" Karen exclaimed, wrapping her arms around her son.

"Can you get a table at that restaurant?" Mike asked, remembering the restaurant that his 'father' had proposed to his mom in.

"Of course!" 

* * *

Mike and El walked into the most expensive restaurant in their hometown, Hawkins. Mike thanked his mom excessively for helping him get this.

"Reservation name?" The person behind the stand asked.

"Wheeler," Mike said, the person behind the stand looked confused.

"This says Karen Wheeler made the reservation," Mike looked confused, he knew he'd got his mom to help him.

"So, I'm her son," Mike said, and El's grip on his hand tightened.

"I'm sorry, I can't give you the table," the person said. Mike's face crumbled, tonight he was gonna propose to El.

"Ok," Mike said, El's grip on her boyfriend's hand tightened, as they walked out of the restaurant. 

* * *

"Mike," El said, with her fingers intertwined with his. She looked over the console at him, Mike's face was upset.

"Yeah," He said, a tear leaking out of his. He wanted tonight to be perfect. And he's messed it up.

"It's ok," El said, tightening her grip on his fingers.

" _I made reservations,_ " Mike said, looking down into his lap.

"I know you did," El said, smiling at him. "But, we could go to Benny's, our usual restaurant?" El then suggested.

Mike smiled, he really did want to go to the posh restaurant that his mom suggested that he propose to El in. But the idea of proposing to El in their usual restaurant just made him smile more. 

* * *

Mike and El are sat at their regular booth, El with her burger and fries and her strawberry milkshake, Mike with his cheeseburger and fries and a chocolate milkshake.

Mike looked up at his girlfriend, seeing her in her natural habitat of their favourite restaurant.

"Hey, El?" Mike asked, setting his cheeseburger down.

She looked at her best friend/boyfriend. "Yeah, Mike?" She replies, taking a sip of her milkshake.

"Erm... Marry me?" He blurts out, making El choke on her milkshake.

"WHAT?!" She shouted, alerting the rest of the restaurant. She waved off everybody else and looked back at Mike. "Are you serious?" She asked, starting to smile. Mike nodded and handed her the small box holding the engagement ring.

"Yes," she said, smiling at him, making smiled back at her, tears welling up in both of their eyes. Mike slipped the ring on her finger.

A perfect fit.


End file.
